France snap elections kick off, predicted wins for far-right
3 Min Read
Jordan Bardella, the RN head and Le Pen's 28-year-old protégé who does not have experience in government, may place Macron in a difficult "cohabitation" situation if the party wins an absolute majority.
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An electoral campaign board is set up in the countryside for the upcoming parliamentary elections, in Lachassagne, central France, on June 25, 2024. (AP)
In France, voting for the first round of early parliamentary elections started on Sunday, and in a first for history, Marine Le Pen's far-right party may win.
Across the French mainland, polling opened at 8:00 am (0600 GMT) and will end 12 hours later, while projection results will be released immediately after, and they typically provide a reasonable estimate of the outcome.
Earlier this weekend, voters in France's overseas territories, where 49 million are eligible to vote, cast their ballots.
Cassandre Cazaux, a nurse who voted in New Caledonia, a French territory in the Pacific where tensions are still high after last month's protests, described the elections as "decisive", adding, "It should be well attended, but I don't know if everyone will play along and come out to vote."
There are two rounds of voting for the 577 members in the National Assembly. After the second round on July 7, it will be clear how the new parliament will be shaped.
The National Assembly is the lower chamber of parliament, and most polls indicate that the RN will gain the most seats there. However, it is still unclear if the party will achieve an overall majority.
With a high turnout expected, final opinion surveys indicate that the RN will receive between 35% and 37% of the vote, compared to 20% and 21% for Macron's centrist camp and 27.5% and 29% for the left-wing New Popular Front alliance.
A potential civil war on the horizon?
Jordan Bardella, the RN head and Le Pen's 28-year-old protégé who does not have government experience may lead Macron in a difficult "cohabitation" if the party wins an absolute majority.
Government sources told AFP that Macron will call a meeting of the government on Monday to deliberate on the next steps.
According to Mujtaba Rahman, Europe's head of risk consultancy Eurasia Group, France is preparing for a year of political turmoil and disarray with a hung Assembly, adding, "There is no precedent in recent French politics for such an impasse."
An editorial by the French daily Le Monde called for mobilization against the far-right.
"Yielding any power to it means nothing less than taking the risk of seeing everything that has been built and conquered over more than two and a half centuries gradually being undone," it said.
Read next: French human rights groups warn of soaring racism amid right-wing rise
By giving voters a significant option over France's future, Macron intended to surprise political rivals, but many believe he may have lost his wager.
The RN party has vowed to boost purchasing power, curb immigration, and enhance law and order.
Macron has warned voters that a win by the far right or hard left could result in a "civil war", insisting that he serve the remainder of his second term until 2027, no matter which party wins.
France's transport trade unions issued a stern warning on Friday, threatening to spark a strike should the RN party secure victory in the snap elections, Europe 1 radio reports.
📢 L'extrême-droite est un danger pour les personnes racisées ! pic.twitter.com/egxEJES2j6
— Union syndicale Solidaires ⏚ (@UnionSolidaires) June 28, 2024
