Parliamentary election in France - The right-wing Rassemblement National relegates Macron's camp to third place
In the first round of the advanced parliamentary elections in France, the right-wing Rassemblement National is reportedly leading, according to initial calculations, with 34 to 34.2 percent. This was reported by TF1 and France 2 after the polling stations closed.
The center-right of President Emmanuel Macron came in third place, with 20.3 to 21.5 percent. The Leftist New Popular Front (Nouveau Front Populaire) is reportedly in the lead with 28.1 to 29.1 percent. However, the number of seats each block will receive in the National Assembly will not be decided until the runoff elections on July 7.
A Setback for President Macron
This result is a significant setback for French President Emmanuel Macron. He had hoped to build a relative majority of his centrist forces in the lower house through the advanced election. This now seems highly unlikely. If none of the parties manage to secure an absolute majority, France could be facing tough coalition negotiations.
Initial projections suggest that Marine Le Pen's right-wing populists and their allies could become the strongest force in the National Assembly with 230 to 280 seats. They could fall short of an absolute majority with 289 seats.
The left could also gain ground and secure 125 to 200 seats. Macron's liberals are projected to drop to 60 to 100 seats. Exact seat distribution is currently difficult to determine. Before the second round of elections, parties may still form local alliances that could influence the election outcome.
France Faces Standstill
A coalition between the politically diverse actors for a government coalition after the election is currently not foreseeable. Without a clear majority in the National Assembly, France could face a standstill. Since the National Assembly can bring down the government, the government needs a majority in the parliamentary chamber to function.
Following the initial projections, Emmanuel Macron and his centrist forces face a challenging road in the Parliamentary election runoff, given that the right-wing Rassemblement National is reportedly leading with significant support. This could potentially pose a significant threat to Macron's political agenda in France.
Despite the setback, right-wing nationalists like Marine Le Pen could fail to secure an absolute majority in the National Assembly, potentially leaving France in a state of political uncertainty with no clear majority party.
