MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

French far-right party on the brink of forming gov't

Macron faces the possibility of sharing power with the first far-right government since Vichy France (WWII)

French President Emmanuel Macron called on all non-rightwing supporters to rally against the Rassemblement National party of Marine LePen winning Sunday's snap first-round parliamentary elections. In any case, the head of state announced he would not be resigning. These political events unfold just days before the start of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Faced with these results, “the time has come for a broad, unequivocally democratic and republican alliance for the [July 7] second round,” Macron insisted while highlighting the importance of a larger turnout next time around by “all our compatriots” wishing “to clarify the political situation.” Turnout Sunday was reported to stand at 67%, a level not seen in nearly four decades. Thousands gathered at Place de la Republique in central Paris Sunday evening to protest the RN's strong showing.

In this scenario, it remains unclear whether the far-right group would win an absolute majority of seats in the new National Assembly and claim the post of prime minister.

After Sunday's outcome, Macron's gambit of calling snap polls might backfire, political analysts in Paris concurred. The president's alliance is now expected to win a far smaller representation in parliament, which would render him far less powerful for the last three years of his term.

According to leading projections, the RN would get 34.5% of the vote, followed by the left-wing New Popular Front alliance's 28.5 to 29.1% and Macron's centrists' 20.5 to 21.5%. The polling agencies projected this would give the RN a majority of seats in the 577-seat National Assembly after the second round and a possible absolute majority as Russia's war against Ukraine followed by higher energy and food prices boosted the anti-immigration and eurosceptic rhetoric of the RN.

The two-round vote could put the far-right in power in France for the first time since the Nazi occupation in World War II and give 28-year-old RN party chief Jordan Bardella, a protege of longtime leader Marine Le Pen, the chance to form a government that would create a tense “cohabitation” with Macron. Bardella has said he will only form a government if the RN wins an absolute majority in the elections.

Three pollsters have predicted the RN and its allies could win an absolute majority with between 240 and 310 seats in the 577-seat lower house. Nevertheless, the historic leader Le Pen warned that “nothing is won” yet and solemnly called on voters to ensure the party gets an absolute majority next Sunday so that “Macron will name Jordan Bardella prime minister”.

“I will be a 'cohabitation' prime minister, respectful of the constitution and of the office of President of the Republic, but uncompromising about the policies we will implement,” Bardella pledged.

Under France's two-round electoral system, if no candidate reaches 50% in the first round, the top two contenders automatically qualify for the second round, as well as all those with 12.5% of registered voters. In such cases, center-right and center-left parties have traditionally teamed up to keep the RN from power in what is known as the “republican front.” Parties wasted no time Sunday evening and began horsetrading, AFP reported.

“The extreme right is at the doors of power,” he said. “Not a single vote must go to the National Rally. France does not deserve that,” Prime Minister Gabriel Attal stressed.