The rise of the right? French parliamentary elections kick off today

Citizens of France will vote today (Sunday) in the first round of elections for the national parliament, which are being held due to French President Emanuel Macron's dramatic decision to disperse the parliament following his party's dismal showing in elections for the European parliament.

According to current polls, Marine Le Pen's National Rally is set to make history - in a way that could dramatically affect France and its status in the European Union.

Macron's decision to lead to this sort of snap election is a major gamble, as he announced that he will not leave office until the end of his term in 2027 - but may find himself facing an obstructionist government which will make it hard for him to execute his policy.

Le Pen herself has announced that "we are going for an absolute majority," predicting that party candidate Jordan Bardella will be the next Prime Minister. The 28 year old Bardella is meant to appeal as the youth candidate to younger voters, increasing support even from those who have opposed Le Pen's past conduct and the antisemitic statements of veteran party members.

Elections for the French Parliament are conducted based on districts, with each representative choosing one out of 577 members of the National Assembly. The polls will close at 19:00 French Time, after which the first national samples will be made public.

However, the complete picture of the complement of the next parliament will only become clear after the second round of elections, which will take place in districts where no candidate received more than 50% of the vote on July 7.