Le Pen’s far right set for big win in first round of French election
France on Sunday took a step closer to delivering what was once seen as an unthinkable nightmare: a far-right government taking power in Paris for the first time, Politico reports.
Marine Le Pen’s National Rally made big gains in the first round of a snap election that could upend political orthodoxy across Europe and beyond, with implications for markets and global security that will be hard to predict.
According to early estimates by pollsters Ipsos, the far-right National Rally is on course to win 34 percent of Sunday’s vote while French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance suffered staggering losses, coming third with 20.3 percent of vote. The left-wing alliance made a strong showing with 28.1 percent of the vote.
“The French people have shown that they want to draw a line under seven years of [Macron’s] disdainful rule,” said Le Pen, speaking at a party event in the Eastern French town of Hénin-Beaumont. “We haven’t won yet, the second round will be crucial … we need an absolute majority so that Jordan Bardella, in eight days, can be appointed prime minister by Emmanuel Macron,” she added.
According to early projections based on exit polls, Le Pen’s party is expected to get 230-280 seats in the 577-seat national assembly, the left wing alliance 125-165 seats and Macron’s coalition 70-100.
Seat projections however are conjectural at this stage and dependent on political decisions taken in the coming days ahead of the second round of voting on July 7. Macron himself is due to stay in power until the end of his mandate in 2027, regardless of the outcome of this assembly election.
