France election: More than 150 candidates withdraw with RN in mind
Anyone who received at least 12.5 percent of the votes from registered voters in the first round is qualified for the second round. Due to the high voter turnout, there could have been three-way contests in around 300 of the 577 constituencies in the second round.
Most of the candidates who announced their withdrawal by Monday evening had finished third in constituencies that the right-wing Rassemblement National (RN) could potentially win in the second round. Among the 155 candidates, 104 were running for the New People's Front and 48 for the camp of President Emmanuel Macron.
Three government members have already announced their withdrawal, including OverSeas Minister Marie Guevenoux and two state secretaries.
- The French election saw a high number of candidates, with 150 qualifying for the second round in various constituencies, according to AFP's view.
- In the constituencies where the right-wing RN could potentially emerge victorious in the second round, several candidates chose to withdraw by Monday evening, including those from More France.
- Withdrawal announcements were made by a significant number of candidates, such as those from the RN, which could have more than three candidates in around 300 constituencies on Sunday.
- In the upcoming French election, constituencies like this one might see a three-way contest between candidates from RN, Portuguese party Chega, and a centrist, as per the current projections.
- AFP reported that constituencies like these, which saw high turnout in the first round, could face more contentious second rounds due to the presence of multiple candidates with strong support.
