All data on the French election
Political earthquake in Paris: French President Macron pulls the trigger after the European election and announces unexpected parliamentary elections. What are the power and majority relations in the French National Assembly? Cards and infographics in overview.
The European elections of 2024 have had dramatic consequences in France: State President Emmanuel Macron reacts to the weak performance of his party and the further strengthening of the French Right with a surprising move and sets forth short-term parliamentary elections.
In two voting rounds on June 30 and July 7, the French are to decide on the power and majority relations in the Paris National Assembly. In the first round, which takes place this coming Sunday, only a few of the 577 seats in the National Assembly are usually awarded. The first round serves only as an introduction. The crucial decisions usually fall in the second round.
First projections (exit polls) will be given on both election days at 8:00 PM, with it being calculated that at least the rough number of seats gained will be announced. It should be noted that parties do not have to belong to a coalition uniformly, but can assign their candidates to different coalitions (so-called "Nuances") at the constituency level. Therefore, parties can be formally represented in several coalitions. Official data will be given after the counting of the votes by the French Interior Ministry.
The sudden elections have thrown French politics into deep turmoil. Macron hopes for stronger support from this step, but the French Right could potentially gain future influence. The latest surveys show that the Right-wing populists of the "Rassemblement National" (RN, National Rally) are currently far ahead in France. Macron's "Ensemble" alliance would be the third strongest force in the parliamentary election accordingly.
The challenges facing France required clarity, and the French deserved respect, Macron justified his decision on the evening of the European election. "I cannot, at the end of this day, act as if nothing had happened," he said, looking at the results of the European election and his decision to call for new elections to the National Assembly. "I trust in the ability of the French electorate to make the best choice for themselves and for future generations."
Macron's "Renaissance" party suffered a heavy defeat in the European election on June 9. As part of the "Besoin d'Europe" (BE) alliance - consisting of Renaissance, the "Ensemble" parties, and the Union of Democrats (UDI, "Union des démocrates et indépendants") - it only received 14.6% of the votes.
This is not even half as many votes as the Right-wing populists from the RN, who gained 31.5% of the votes in the European election in France. The French Socialists were in the lead ahead of Macron at the beginning of June, with 13.8% of the votes.
In the overwhelming majority of French regions, the Right was able to secure the victory: The France map with the results of the European election in the regions is deep blue.
Until June 30th, there is not much time left. Macron's decision, as per Article 12 of the French Constitution, propels the parties directly after the European election into a type of blitz campaign, where this time it's not about distant Brussels but about the political alignment of France.
Marine Le Pen, the RN faction leader who intends to run for presidency again in 2027, looks at the unexpectedly announced elections with great confidence. "We are ready to assume government responsibility," she declared.
The far-right party "Reconquête" with Marion Marechal as their leading candidate has already expressed openness for a coalition – the same goes for the head of France's Conservatives, Eric Ciotti.
The new flexibility of the conservative camp creates new realities for Macron: Ciotti's coalition signals challenge a long-standing consensus that collaborating with the RN is taboo – and puts him at odds with a significant portion of his party, Les Républicains.
Approximately 50 million eligible French and French citizens are called to vote in France and its overseas territories. The majority system applies, which favors larger parties. Overseas voters have already started casting their ballots on Tuesday, 25th June. The elections have also begun in the French overseas territories.
The French electoral law does not allow for postal voting. Voters can, however, grant a proxy and designate a trustee. For this, they must first present themselves at any police station.
Most polling stations will close at 18.00 hours on the following Sunday, while they will remain open until 20.00 hours in Paris and other major cities. This results in relatively unreliable projections by 20.00 hours.
The upcoming elections in France are attracting attention beyond national borders. It remains open how a potential victory of the right-wing populists will impact the political alignment of the second-strongest economic power in Europe.
Previous statements from leading RN representatives do not indicate sudden declarations of commitment to the European unification process. The much-invoked Franco-German engine within the EU could temporarily falter.
Looking Back: Parliamentary Elections 2022
During the previous parliamentary elections in 2022, Macron's party Renaissance (RE, formerly "La République en Marche") had competed under the Ensemble-Coalition ENS banner. The ENS label stands for "Ensemble pour la majorité présidentielle" (approximately: "Alliance of the Presidential Majority") and encompassed not only liberal parties of the center but also left-wing and right-wing parties.
In the first round of the 2022 elections, Macron's centralist alliance at least was tied with the left-wing NUPES list ("Nouvelle union populaire écologique et sociale," approximately: "New ecological and social popular union").
The NUPES alliance was a serious challenger for Macron at one point: The social-ecological grouping could rely on a broad base, comprising not only the Socialist Party and the French Communist Party, but also the French Greens and the left-populist party "La France insoumise" (Unsubmissive France).
During the 2022 presidential election, the then NUPES leading candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon narrowly missed the runoff. In the second round, Macron won against the right-wing populist candidate Marine Le Pen.
Two years later, the situation looks different: The French right is sensing a resurgence after the European election. Le Pen welcomed Macron's re-election announcement and spoke of a "bold decision" and, looking at the new openness of the Conservatives, of "responsibility" from Cottis.
The Right intends to enter the parliamentary elections under the leadership of EU deputy Jordan Bardella, who had already been the candidate of his party in the EU election. Bardella was quoted by RTL radio as saying, "He is our candidate for Matignon." Hotel Matignon is the official residence of the French Prime Minister in Paris.
Will there be "Cohabitation" in Paris?
It is still open whether the European resurgence of right-wing populists will also take hold in France: If the RN manages to secure a governing majority, it could mark the first time since 22 years that there would be a "Cohabitation" in France.
The term refers to the situation where the President and the strongest political faction in Parliament belong to different political camps, and the President has no majority. This has happened three times, most recently from 1997 to 2002 with conservative President Jacques Chirac and socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin.
Macron's forced campaign for a snap election also affects the ruling camp. The Centre Alliance, which had lost the absolute majority in the parliamentary election two years ago, switched to campaign mode immediately after the parliamentary dissolution.
Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné, who is also the chief of Macron's Renaissance party, called for the mobilization of all Republican forces. He intends to continue exercising his ministerial duties despite the campaign organization.
French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire considered the upcoming election a historically significant one. He spoke of the election that would have the "most severe consequences in the history of the Fifth Republic." The outcome of the ballot box would decide "what the French nation will be in the coming years and decades."
Green-left "Popular Front" against Macron
The leftist parties in France plan to run as a coalition in the hastily scheduled new election. On the day of Macron's announcement, the Left Party, Socialists, Communists, and Greens agreed in principle on the formation of a common movement called "Front Populaire" (Popular Front).
The hastily forged coalition agreed to field only one common candidate in each of the 577 constituencies. "We want a program for social and ecological transformation, to build an alternative to Emmanuel Macron and to combat the racist project of the extreme right."
In dry woolen coats, the Left Alliance is still far from being a reality. Although the left parties had already run together in the last parliamentary election two years ago and had formed a joint faction in parliament, the alliance was effectively broken during the dispute over the stance on the Gaza War. And while the Left Party and its leading figure Jean-Luc Mélenchon were the strongest and driving forces two years ago, the resurgent Socialists, with their third-placed candidate Raphael Glucksmann, are now claiming a leadership role.
577 Constituencies, 577 Seats
The new alliance is under pressure from the start. Until the election date on June 30, Green and Left parties have little time left to align on a common line. The French parliament consists of two chambers: The Senate and the National Assembly, with the upcoming elections only affecting the National Assembly. The legislative body comprises 577 seats. Elections are held in corresponding numbers of constituencies using the French majority voting system in two rounds.
Candidates who achieve an absolute majority, that is, more than 50% of the cast votes, in the first round do not have to participate in the second round, provided they obtain a quarter of the votes in their constituency.
In constituencies where no candidate exceeds this threshold, a week later, the second round takes place: The top two candidates from the first round face off against all constituency candidates who received more than one eighth of the votes.
In general, parties reach agreements before the second round, resulting in usually fewer than three candidates per constituency. The mandate goes to the one who receives the most votes. The new composition of the French National Assembly is therefore expected to be confirmed around July 7.
The European elections of 2024 led to a significant shift in French politics, with the Right-wing populists from the "Rassemblement National" (RN, National Rally) gaining a substantial majority of votes. This has prompted French President Emmanuel Macron to announce unexpected parliamentary elections, which will take place on June 30 and July 7. Marine Le Pen, the RN's leader, expressed confidence about the upcoming elections, stating, "We are ready to assume government responsibility." The challenges facing France require clarity, and Macron believes that the French electorate is capable of making the best choice for themselves and future generations.
