Far Right Takes Lead in First Round of French Parliamentary Elections: What Comes Next?

The results of the recent parliamentary elections in France have been made clear, with the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) taking the lead in the first round. Led by Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, the RN received 33.2% of the vote, while a left-wing and Green coalition followed closely behind at 28.1%. President Macron’s party, Ensemble, received 21%.

The high voter turnout, projected to be between 65.8% and 67%, shows that the French population is taking these elections seriously. Experts like Sébastien Maillard and Mathias Bernard note that this level of participation delegitimizes previous claims that the right only wins when voter turnout is low.

As a second round of voting approaches next Sunday, predictions are being made about how many seats will be chosen in each round. It is predicted that between 65-85 MPs will be elected in the first round, with between 285-315 runoffs in the second round. The outcome will depend heavily on strategic withdrawals to prevent an RN victory.

President Macron has called for a broad alliance to prevent right-wing populist candidates from winning seats in the second round. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has announced that around 60 government camp candidates will withdraw to support this effort.

The election has highlighted deep divisions within French society, with both far right and left-wing alliances gaining support at the expense of political center parties. Experts like Mustapha El Miri and Arnaud Mercier believe that France is undergoing political and sociological changes requiring radical changes in one direction or another. Overall, it’s clear that political compromises and unity will be necessary for France to move forward after these elections.