Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party made historic gains in the first round of France’s parliamentary election. The RN and its allies received 33% of the vote, putting them ahead of a leftwing bloc with 28% and President Emmanuel Macron’s centrists with just 20%, according to the official results from the interior ministry.
This result is a major setback for Macron, who called the snap election after his party was defeated by the RN in the European Parliament elections last month. However, the final outcome of the parliamentary election will depend on the next round of voting and the alliances formed in the coming days.
The RN’s success raises the possibility of an anti-immigrant, eurosceptic government in France, which would have significant implications for the European Union. Le Pen has worked to improve the image of her party, which has been associated with racism and antisemitism, and has capitalized on voter dissatisfaction with Macron, high living costs, and immigration concerns.
Despite the RN’s gains, other parties are working to prevent them from forming a government. Leaders of both the leftwing New Popular Front and Macron’s centrist alliance have stated they will withdraw their candidates in districts where another candidate has a better chance of defeating the RN in the runoff.
The Republicans (LR) party, which received less than 7% of the first-round vote, is also a key player in this strategy. RN lawmakers are urging centre-right Republicans to withdraw from districts where such a move would benefit the RN. However, the Republicans have not yet indicated their stance.
All candidates who made it through the first round have until Tuesday evening to confirm if they will continue to the second round of voting.
The euro saw a slight rise on Monday due to market relief that the RN did not perform even better. The final results of the election will depend on the strategic moves made by all parties in the lead-up to the runoff vote next Sunday.