- In the first round of the parliamentary elections in France, a head-to-head race is emerging between President Emmanuel Macron’s center-electoral alliance and the left-wing alliance NUPES.
- Projections from 8 p.m. put the president’s middle camp at 25.2 to 25.9 percent roughly on par with the left-wing alliance NUPES at 25.2 to 26.1 percent.
- However, forecasts assume that the seats will be distributed in the second round of voting in a week from a majority for the Macron camp.
Shortly after President Emmanuel Macron was re-elected, the French elected a new parliament, the National Assembly, with 577 seats.
In the first round of voting, the candidate who receives more than 50 percent of the votes in his constituency wins (Majorz). Where this is not the case, all candidates who received more than 12.5 percent of the votes must face a second ballot next Sunday.
Macron wants to secure a majority in Parliament again. Otherwise he would be forced to appoint a government with politicians and a prime minister from other camps (“cohabitation”). France’s Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne sees the opponents without a chance. She also warned of a strengthening of the left: “We cannot take the risk of instability.”
The leader of the French Conservatives (Les Républicains, LR), Christian Jacob, sees his party as an important political force despite losses. With 92 seats, the LR is currently the strongest opposition force in parliament. According to projections, together with their allies they achieved 11.3 to 13.7 percent of the voters and could get 40 to 80 seats. Jacob emphasized his clear line: “No voice for the extremes!” This applies to left or right, because the middle class would suffer as a result.
Mélenchon: «Defeat for Macron»
The leader of the left party alliance in France, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, sees the result as a clear defeat for Emmanuel Macron. “The President’s Party is beaten and defeated in the first round.” Mélenchon called on citizens to go to the polls next Sunday to “definitively reject the fatal plans of the majority of Mr. Macron”. According to projections, the new left-wing alliance of leftists, communists, greens and socialists is on par with Macron’s center alliance at almost 26 percent.
Le Pen: “Immense Victory”
Marine Le Pen described the performance of her Rassemblement national (RN) as an “immense victory”: “It is important that Emmanuel Macron does not have an absolute majority, which he will abuse to use his self-centered and brutal methods.” The second ballot offers the opportunity to send a very large group of patriotic deputies to the National Assembly. According to the projection of the TV station TF1, the Rassemblement (RN) comes to 19 percent.
Low turnout
The turnout of 47 percent is low for France. Many French are now tired of voting, says SRF correspondent Alexandra Gubser in Paris. There has been an election campaign in the country since September. For most, everything has already been said and Macron was elected president seven weeks ago. With that the topic was closed. “But this low turnout also shows how big the crisis of confidence is between the citizens and the political elite,” says Gubser.
The second round of parliamentary elections will take place next Sunday.