The first round of the parliamentary elections in France has concluded, and it is evident that the right-wing Rassemblement National (RN) has emerged as the leader. Led by Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, the RN received 33.2% of the vote, while a left-wing and Green coalition obtained 28.1%. President Macron’s party, Ensemble, came in third place with 21%.
Despite predictions of low voter turnout, there was a high voter turnout during this election. It is projected to be between 65.8% and 67%, indicating that the French population is taking these elections seriously. Experts like Sébastien Maillard and Mathias Bernard are pleased that this level of participation delegitimizes previous claims that the right only wins when voter turnout is low.
With a second round of voting scheduled for next Sunday, the distribution of seats and majority in the next parliament will be determined. There are predictions that between 65 to 85 MPs will be chosen in the first round, with between 285 to 315 runoffs in the second round. The outcome will heavily depend 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 revealed deep divisions within French society, with far-right and left-wing alliances gaining ground at the expense of political center parties. Experts like Mustapha El Miri and Arnaud Mercier believe that France is in a state of political and sociological flux, demanding radical changes in one direction or another. Overall, experts agree that political compromises and unity are essential for France’s future progress.
In conclusion, despite many uncertainties surrounding these elections, one thing is clear: France’s political landscape has been forever changed by these results. The country must now face up to its divisions and work towards finding common ground if it hopes to move forward into a brighter future.