French voters have propelled the far-right National Rally to a strong lead in first-round legislative elections and plunged the country into political uncertainty
Far left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon exits the voting booth before voting, Sunday, June 30, 2024 in Paris. France is holding the first round of an early parliamentary election that could bring the country's first far-right government since Nazi occupation during World War II. The second round is on July 7, and the outcome of the vote remains highly uncertain.
Projections by polling agencies suggest the National Rally stands a good chance of winning a majority in the lower house of parliament for the first time, with an estimated one-third of the first-round vote, nearly double their 18% in the first round in 2022. The party is building on its success in European elections that prompted Macron to dissolve parliament and call the surprise vote.
There are 49.5 million registered voters who will choose the 577 members of the National Assembly, France's influential lower house of parliament. The vote was taking place during the traditional first week of summer vacation in France, and absentee ballot requests were at least five times higher than in 2022.
Voters in Paris had issues from immigration to the rising cost of living on their minds as the country has grown more divided between the far right and far left blocs, with a deeply unpopular and weakened president in the political center. The campaign was marred by Macron's call was an audacious gamble that French voters who were complacent about the European election would be jolted into turning out for moderate forces in national elections to keep the far right out of power.
Voting Politics Elections Business World News General News Article 111552785
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
French nukes are for France only, says far-right National RallyIn its new electoral program the party refuses “transfers of competence” to the EU in terms of defense and foreign policy.
Read more »
First French projections put hard-right National Rally well ahead in EU electionFirst projected results from France are putting the far-right National Rally party well ahead in the European Union's parliamentary election, according to French opinion poll institutes
Read more »
First French projections put hard-right National Rally well ahead in EU electionFirst projected results from France are putting the far-right National Rally party well ahead in the European Union's parliamentary election, according to French opinion poll institutes.
Read more »
First French projections put hard-right National Rally well ahead in EU electionFirst projected results from France put far-right National Rally party well ahead in EU elections, according to French opinion poll institutes.
Read more »
First French projections put hard-right National Rally well ahead in EU electionFirst projected results from France are putting the far-right National Rally party well ahead in the European Union's parliamentary election, according to French opinion poll institutes
Read more »
First French projections put hard-right National Rally well ahead in EU electionFirst projected results from France put far-right National Rally party well ahead in EU elections, according to French opinion poll institutes.
Read more »