Initial results from the first round of legislative elections indicate a strong performance by Marine Le Pen's National Rally, with declining support for President Emmanuel Macron, Euro news reports
Emmanuel Macron faced criticism after a disappointing showing in the European elections on 9 June, where the National Rally emerged as the top contender.
A potential shift towards the right could usher in a period of political "cohabitation," with President Macron, a centrist, potentially having to collaborate with a far-right Prime Minister.
According to Ipsos, the initial results are as follows:
- Far-right National Rally leads nationwide with 34% of the votes.
- Left-wing coalition the New Popular Front follows with 28.1%.
- Macron's centrist coalition ranks third with 20.3%, marking the party's weakest showing to date.
Far-right Le Pen is aiming for a landslide victory in the first round of the French election. Early forecasts point to a national outcry to win the new parliament as Emmanuel Macron's electoral gamble backfires.
France is facing what until recently was an unimaginable nightmare for Europe: a far-right government could take power in Paris for the first time. On Sunday, Marine Le Pen's national rally scored big victories in the first round of a snap election that could topple political orthodoxy across the European Union and beyond, with hard-to-foresee consequences for markets and global security.