France held its new parliamentary elections, and the results are still being tallied. However, it is clear that the right-wing Rassemblement National (RN) has taken the lead in the first round. Led by Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, the RN received 33.2% of the vote, followed by a left-wing and Green coalition at 28.1% and President Macron’s party, Ensemble, at 21%.
The high voter turnout, projected to be between 65.8% and 67%, indicates the seriousness with which the French population is approaching these elections. Experts like Sébastien Maillard and Mathias Bernard note that this level of participation delegitimizes previous claims that the right only wins when voter turnout is low.
As a result of this high voter turnout, predictions suggest that there will be between 65-85 MPs chosen in the first round, with 285-315 runoffs in the second round. The outcome will depend heavily on strategic withdrawals to prevent an RN victory.
President Macron has called for a broad alliance to prevent right-wing populist candidates from winning seats in the second round. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has announced that around 60 government camp candidates will withdraw to support this effort. Despite this call for unity, experts like Mustapha El Miri and Arnaud Mercier believe that France is in a state of political and sociological flux, demanding radical changes in one direction or another. Overall, it is clear that these elections have highlighted the need for political compromises and unity within French society.
