Far Right Prevails in French Election Results
Early general elections in France have seen the far-right National Rally (RN) party leading the race in the first round of voting. According to exit polls, the RN received 34 percent of the votes, while the New Popular Front Alliance came in second with 28 percent. President Emmanuel Macron’s alliance ranked third with around 20 percent of the votes.
The centre-right Republicans party and its allies received around 10 percent of the votes, with a voter turnout of 67.5 percent. The second round of elections will take place on July 7, where 577 deputies will be elected to serve in the National Assembly for five years.
In a surprising turn of events, the first MP to be elected in the first round was Moerani Frebault, a member of the anti-independence centre-right party in French Polynesia. Due to time zone differences, Frebault secured 54 percent of the votes in the 1st constituency.
The rise of the far-right in France has sparked protests and demonstrations in many cities. President Macron’s decision to dissolve the Parliament and call for early elections came after the RN’s victory in the last European Parliament elections.
Despite the far-right’s lead, Macron has stated that he will not resign even if the RN gains a majority in Parliament. As the country prepares for the second round of elections, negotiations and possible alliances between parties are expected to play a crucial role in determining the future direction of French politics.
