PARIS: France is set for a parliamentary run-off election on Sunday, reshaping the political landscape. Opinion polls indicate the French far right National Rally (RN) will lead in votes but may not secure a majority.
Such an outcome could plunge the country into a chaotic hung parliament, severely denting the authority of President Emmanuel Macron. Equally, if the nationalist, euroskeptic RN did win a majority, the pro-business, pro-Europe president could find himself forced into a difficult “cohabitation.”
NoMarine Le Pen’s RN scored historic gains to win last Sunday’s first-round vote, raising the spectre of France’s first far-right government since World War Two.
But after centrist and leftist parties joined forces over the past week in a bid to forge an anti-RN barricade, #FarRightFrance #FrenchFarRight, Le Pen’s hopes of the RN winning an absolute majority in the 577-seat National Assembly seem less certain.
Polls suggest the RN will become the dominant legislative force, but fail to reach the 289-seat majority that Le Pen and her 28-year-old protégé Jordan Bardella believe would allow them to claim the prime minister’s job and drag France sharply rightward.
Polls open at 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) and close at 6 p.m. in towns and small cities and 8 p.m. (1800 GMT) in larger cities, with initial projections expected the moment voting ends, based on partial counts from a sample of polling stations. #FarRightFrance #FrenchFarRight
Much will depend on whether voters follow the calls of leading anti-RN alliances to block the French far right from power, or support far-right contenders.
Raphael Glucksmann, a member of the European Parliament who led France’s leftist ticket in last month’s European vote, said he viewed Sunday’s run-off as a simple referendum on whether “the Le Pen family takes over this country.”
