Supporters react as former president of the French far-right Rassemblement National (RN) parliamentary group Marine Le Pen gives a speech during the results evening of the first round of the parliamentary elections in Henin-Beaumont, northern France, on 30 June 2024. (Francois Lo Presti/AFP)
- Marine Le Pen’s
National Rally party achieved significant gains in the first round of France’s
parliamentary election, leading with 33% of the vote, ahead of the leftwing
bloc and President Macron’s centrists. - The overall
outcome remains uncertain, as the RN’s ability to form a government hinges on
alliance-building and the results of the upcoming run-off vote. - Concerns arise
over the RN’s anti-immigrant, eurosceptic stance and its potential impact on
the European Union, as well as questions about the funding of its spending
plans.
Marine
Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party scored historic gains to win the
first round of France’s parliamentary election, but the final outcome will
depend on days of alliance-building before next week’s run-off vote.
Official
results from the interior ministry showed on Monday that the RN and allies had
33% of the vote, followed by a leftwing bloc with 28% and President Emmanuel
Macron’s centrists with just 20%.
That
was a huge setback for Macron, who had called the snap election after the RN
trounced his ticket in the European Parliament elections last month.
But
whether the anti-immigrant, eurosceptic RN will be able to form a government
will depend on next week’s decisive round and how successfully other parties
manage to thwart Le Pen by rallying around the best-placed rival candidates in
constituencies across France.
Leaders
of the left-wing New Popular Front and Macron’s centrist alliance made clear on
Sunday night that they would withdraw their own candidates in districts where
another candidate was better placed to beat the RN in next Sunday’s runoff.
READ | ‘The repercussions could be serious’: France votes in pivotal snap polls as far right eyes power
A
longtime pariah for many in France, the RN is now closer to power than it has
ever been. Le Pen has sought to clean up the image of a party known for racism
and antisemitism, a tactic that has worked amid voter anger at Macron, the high
cost of living and growing concerns over immigration.
An
RN-led government would raise major questions about the direction of the
European Union, given its resistance to further integration. Economists have
also asked whether its spending plans are fully funded.
The
euro touched a two-week high during Asian trading on Monday on market relief
the RN had not done better.
“I
think it’s a slight ‘well, there were no surprises’, so there was a sense of
relief there,” said Fiona Cincotta, senior markets analyst at City Index.
RN
lawmakers on Monday urged centre-right politicians in the Republicans (LR)
party, which received less than 7% of the first-round vote, to withdraw from
districts where such a move would work in RN’s favour.
“If
they know they’re not going to win, I’m calling on them to stand down and let
the national side win,” RN lawmaker Laure Lavalette told RTL radio.
For
now, the Republican party, which split ahead of the vote with a small number of
its lawmakers joining the RN, has given no indication of its stance.
All
candidates who made it through the first round have until Tuesday evening to
confirm whether they will go into the second.
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