Far-Right Wins The First Round of French Elections

France’s far-right National Rally (RN) party has achieved a significant victory in the first round of the country’s snap parliamentary elections.

According to polls by IFOP, Ipsos, OpinionWay, and Elabe, Marine Le Pen’s RN secured approximately 34 percent of the vote.

The left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) coalition followed with around 29 percent, while President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Ensemble alliance garnered about 20.5 percent.

This outcome positions the RN favorably for potentially forming a government. However, other political forces across the spectrum have signaled their intention to unite against the far-right party in the upcoming second round of voting on July 7.

President Macron initiated the snap elections following the RN’s strong performance in the recent European Parliament elections, gambling that their success would not translate to the national level.

At Marine Le Pen’s constituency in Henin-Beaumont, northern France, supporters celebrated with French flags and sang the national anthem, La Marseillaise.

“The French people have demonstrated their desire to turn the page on a government that has been dismissive and divisive,” Le Pen declared to an enthusiastic crowd.

RN President Jordan Bardella, Le Pen’s protege and candidate for prime minister, emphasized the critical nature of the upcoming second round, calling it “the most important in the history of the French Fifth Republic.”

He criticized Macron’s party for its perceived decline and accused the far-left of creating an “existential crisis,” posing “a real danger to France and its people.”

Pollsters estimate that the RN and its allies could secure between 260 to 310 parliament seats in the second round, while projections suggest a range of 230 to 280 seats for RN and its allies.

Both Le Pen and Bardella have expressed ambitions for an absolute majority of 289 seats in the National Assembly, setting the stage for a closely watched and pivotal second round of voting.