In a stunning turn of events, the populist right in France has achieved an unprecedented feat with approximately 34% of French voters supporting the bloc led by Marine Le Pen’s “National Union” party. This is compared to 29% who voted for a broad left bloc and 22% who voted for the Center Bloc, led by incumbent President Emmanuel Macron.
Despite his call for snap elections three weeks ago to consolidate his political power, Macron suffered a sharp defeat as the results did not favor him. All eyes are now on seeing how the support rates will translate into seats in the National Assembly, which has 577 seats. The “National Union” party will face a second and final round and will need at least 289 seats to secure an absolute majority in parliament and form a government. Current estimates show that they may fall short of this majority, with the left bloc expected to win between 180 and 200 seats.
As the results for each electoral district become known, candidates who qualified for the second round will compete. Candidates who received more than 12.5% of the votes in the first round qualify for the second round. The National Union party, formerly known as the National Front, demonstrated broad support throughout France, showing that the European Parliament elections were not just a protest vote.
The voting rate in these elections exceeded previous rates, with close to 70% turnout compared to less than 48% two years ago. Macron’s decision to dissolve the National Assembly and call for snap elections after the European Parliament results failed to sway public opinion. The populist right in France looks poised to take power, while Macron’s political bet seems to have backfired.
In conclusion, it is clear that France is facing a significant political shift as voters have shown their support for populist candidates like Marine Le Pen’s “National Union” party