France votes on Sunday crucial runoff elections that could deliver a historic victory Marina LePenin Far-right National Rally and his introspective, anti-immigrant vision – or it would produce a hung parliament and years of political impasse.
Sunday’s early elections in this nuclear-armed nation have a potential impact on the war in Ukraine, global diplomacy and Europe’s economic stability. And they are it will almost certainly undermine President Emmanuel Macron during the remaining three years of his presidency. France could have its first far-right government since the Nazi occupation in World War II if the National Rally obtains an absolute majority and its Leader Jordan Bardella, 28 years old becomes prime minister.
Racism and anti-Semitism harmed the electoral campaign, along with Russian cyber campaigns, and more than 50 candidates reported being physically attacked – something highly unusual in France. The government is mobilizing 30,000 police officers on voting day.
Voting for the second round began on Saturday in France’s overseas territories, from the South Pacific to the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and North Atlantic. The elections end on Sunday at 8pm (6pm GMT) in mainland France. Initial poll projections are expected Sunday night, with the first official results expected late Sunday and Monday morning.
Here are the latest:
Voting opens in mainland France for second round of high-stakes legislative elections
Voting opened on Sunday in France for the second round of high-stakes legislative elections that have already seen the biggest gains ever for the country’s far-right National Rally party.
French President Emmanuel Macron took a big gamble by dissolving parliament and calling elections after his centrists were defeated in the European elections on June 9. by Marine Le Pen. Sunday’s vote determines which party controls the National Assembly and who will be prime minister.
If support for Macron’s weak centrist majority dwindles further, he will be forced to share power with parties that oppose most of his pro-business and pro-European Union policies.
Voting for the second round began on Saturday in France’s overseas territories, from the South Pacific to the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and North Atlantic. The elections end on Sunday at 8pm (6pm GMT) in mainland France. Initial poll projections are expected Sunday night, with the first official results expected late Sunday and Monday morning.
Candidates make hasty deals to try to stop the far-right National Rally from leading the government
Opposition parties made hasty deals ahead of Sunday’s second round of voting to try to block a landslide victory for Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally in the legislative elections, as she said her party would lead the government only if it won absolute majority. or close to it.
An unprecedented number of candidates who qualified for the second round from the left-wing alliance of the New Popular Front and President Emmanuel Macron’s weakened centrists stepped aside to favor the candidate most likely to beat a National Rally opponent.
According to a count by French newspaper Le Monde, around 218 candidates who were supposed to compete in the second round withdrew. Of these, 130 were left-wing and 82 came from Ensemble, a centrist alliance led by Macron.
