Kicking off the election race in France, gearing up for polling day on June 30.
France's National Rally (RN) is set to scrap Emmanuel Macron's pension reform, which raised the retirement age from 62 to 64.
Currently leading with approximately 30 percent in surveys, RN has gained support from some Republican party defectors. Jordan Bardella, leader of the RN, positions himself as a future prime minister, which is allowed under French law.
The government camp, running under the slogan "United for the Republic," is bypassing contenders in 88 out of 577 constituencies, claiming it'll aid in fighting extremism. Macron's camp presents itself as a shield against the extreme left and right. In surveys, government camp stands at 20 percent, placing it in third position, behind the left-green coalition New Popular Front at 25 percent.
The New Popular Front, a coalition of socialists, left-populists, communists, and Greens, is fielding former Socialist President François Hollande as a candidate. Several left-populist party La France Insoumise deputies were not given candidacy due to disagreements with the party leadership.
The first campaign event is slated for Monday evening in Montreuil near Paris. The parties involved in the event have contrasting ideologies and have yet to agree on a single flagship candidate. The left-populist Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who has declared his candidacy for the position of prime minister, is not accepted by many Socialists and Greens.
The far-right is represented by Marine Le Pen's elder sister, Marie-Caroline Le Pen. The RN has yet to publish its defense policy proposals in its election program. The previous program included talk of an alliance with Russia, withdrawal from the integrated NATO command, and the cancellation of German-French arms projects.
The drama surrounding former conservative Republican leader Eric Ciotti continues. He was expelled from the party after his switch to RN, but a Paris court suspended the expulsion due to party regulation violations. The RN leadership is trying to remove Ciotti with a signature campaign among party members. Additionally, investigations into allegations of embezzlement of public funds concerning a local parking space issue have been initiated.
Ciotti claims he has over 60 candidates supported by his followers and RN members in the election. The other Republicans have fielded over 400 candidates, including in Ciotti's own constituency. Both groups consider themselves as legitimate representatives of the party and use the same logo.
The parties had only a few days to form alliances and put forward their candidates. The deadline was on Sunday at 6 PM, with the official list to be published after the candidates have been verified.
Among the 35 government members, 24 are running for election to the National Assembly, including Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné.
Macron dissolved the National Assembly and called for new elections following the RN's victory in the European elections on June 9. The RN received 31.4% of the votes, Macron's alliance gained 14.6%, while the Socialists were close behind at 13.8%.
