As expected, France’s right-wing nationalists came first in the short-notice parliamentary elections. The president’s camp, on the other hand, fared less well. But the decisive vote is still pending.
According to initial projections, the right-wing nationalist Rassemblement National is in the lead in the first of two rounds of the early parliamentary elections in France. Together with its allies, it received 34 to 34.2 percent, as the broadcasters TF1 and France 2 reported after the polls closed.
President Emmanuel Macron’s center camp came in third place with 20.3 to 21.5 percent, behind the left-wing alliance Nouveau Front Populaire with 28.1 to 29.1 percent. How many seats the blocs will get in the National Assembly will only be decided in runoff elections on July 7.
Setback for President Macron
The result is a bitter defeat for French President Emmanuel Macron. He had hoped that the early election would increase the relative majority of his centrist forces in the lower house. That now seems extremely unlikely. If, according to forecasts, none of the camps gains an absolute majority, France would face tough negotiations for a coalition.
Initial forecasts assume that Marine Le Pen’s right-wing populists and their allies could become the strongest force in the lower house with 230 to 280 seats. However, they could narrowly miss the absolute majority with 289 seats.
The left could also gain 125 to 200 seats. Macron’s liberals are in danger of dropping to just 60 to 100 seats. However, it is difficult to make precise statements about the distribution of seats. Before the second round of voting, the parties can still forge local alliances that will influence the outcome of the election.
France faces standstill
It is currently not foreseeable that the very different political players will come together to form a coalition government after the election. Without a clear majority in the National Assembly, France would face stagnation. Since the National Assembly can overthrow the government, the government needs a majority in the parliamentary chamber to carry out its work.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
