France's right-wing parties won a landslide victory in the first round of the country's general election on Sunday, dealing a blow to President Emmanuel Macron's liberal coalition.
In France's nationwide parliamentary elections on Sunday, the right-wing National Rally party won 33% of the vote, while Macron's Renaissance party got just 21%. according to Although the election is not over until later this week, the National Rally's initial victory signals a major shift in French people's political priorities and a departure from President Macron's policies, according to The Wall Street Journal. (Related article: 'We're ready': Conservatives set to secure victory in Europe after big EU elections)
The second round of voting will take place on July 7. If the National Rally wins more than 289 seats – the number needed for an absolute majority in parliament – and pushes aside Macron's Renaissance party, it would severely undermine Macron's ability to exercise power, give the National Party a greater say in the country's legislative decisions and force him to appoint his party's choice as prime minister.
“Democracy has spoken and France has put the Rally National and its alliance at the top, effectively wiping out Macron's camp,” National Rally leader Marine Le Pen told supporters after the first round of voting on Sunday, according to multiple reports.
Marine Le Pen, former leader of the far-right French party National Rally (RN), speaks on the night of the announcement of the results of the first round of parliamentary elections in Hénin-Beaumont, northern France, on June 30, 2024. (François Lo Presti/AFP via Getty Images)
This weekend's voter turnout was the highest in decades, with 67% voting compared to 47.5% in 2022. Per According to The New York Times, while final votes are still being counted, the Rally National is expected to win between 255 and 295 seats in the 557-seat parliament, while Macron's party is expected to win between 90 and 125 seats.
Other left-wing parties and the Greens performed similarly poorly compared to the Rally National, but Macron's party was defeated by the largest margin of votes.
Macron had called the surprise election, hoping it would give voters a chance to signal their support for his party following its defeat in European Union parliamentary elections in early June.
Officials within the Biden administration are reportedly concerned that President Joe Biden and Macron share similar views on policy and that Macron's party could lose power in this week's elections, according to people familiar with earlier discussions. Said Politico. Biden campaign officials are reportedly troubled by Macron's decision to call early elections and risk losing the vote, especially since his own party has shown signs of losing political support.
The vote “will be one of the most decisive in the history of the Fifth Republic,” Jordan Bardella, leader of the National Rally party and Le Pen's nominee to be the next prime minister, said on Sunday. according to To the WSJ.
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