PARIS — Voters in French overseas territories and those living abroad began voting Saturday in a parliamentary runoff that could deliver an unprecedented victory to the nationalist extreme right.
Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigration party, the National Rally, won first round vote last Sunday, followed by a coalition of centre-left, far-left and Green parties, and President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance in a distant third place.
The second round began on Saturday off the Canadian coast, in the North Atlantic territory of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and continues in French territories in the Caribbean, the South Pacific and the Indian Ocean, along with French voters living in abroad.
The elections conclude on Sunday in mainland France. Initial poll projections are expected when polling stations close at 8 pm Paris time (1800 GMT), with first official results expected on Sunday night and early Monday.
Macron called the early legislative vote after the National Rally won the most votes in France in the European Parliament elections last month.
The party, which blames immigration for many of France’s problems, has seen its support rise steadily over the past decade and hopes to win an outright majority in the second round. That would allow National Rally leader Jordan Bardella to become prime minister and form a government that would be at odds with Macron’s policies on Ukraine, police powers and other issues.
Pre-election polls suggest that the party can win the most seats in the National Assembly, but will fall short of the absolute majority of 289 seats. That could result in a hung parliament.
Macron has said he will not resign and will remain president until his term ends in 2027, but he is expected to be weakened regardless of the outcome.
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