France’s far-right ‘National Rally’ party has won the most votes in the first round of the national elections.
Early results show current President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance in third place behind the far-right bloc and a left-wing alliance.
Regardless of the outcome of this election, Macron will remain as President. However, the election will determine the makeup of the lower house in Parliament and the next Prime Minister of France.
The election
Earlier this month, President Macron dissolved the lower house of Parliament and.
It followed a poor performance for Macron’s party in the European Parliament elections and a surge in support for his far-right rival Marine Le Pen.
French voters are electing 577 members of the lower house. This won’t affect Macron’s role as President, as the parliamentary elections are different to the presidential race. Macron will remain President until 2027.
Parties
Political parties in France usually group together in ‘blocs’ or ‘alliances’.
— Centrist alliance led by Emmanuel Macron.
— Far-right coalition led by Marine Le Pen.
— Left-wing alliance led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
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Results
In France, polling companies conduct surveys on the day of voting and release what’s known as “exit polls” once voting ends. The exit polls published by theshowed:
National Rally: 33%
New Popular Front: 28.5%
Ensemble: 22%
Turnout was estimated at 67.5%, the highest since 1997.
Now, any candidates who received more than 12.5% of the votes in their electorate will progress to the second round of voting on 7 July.
Prime Minister
The main outcome of this election will determine who becomes the next Prime Minister.
A reminder: France has both a President and a Prime Minister. The PM is appointed by the President, with the approval of Parliament, to serve as the head of government.
If Macron’s own party doesn’t win enough seats, he could be forced to appoint a PM from an opposing party. Based on the results from the first round of voting, this could be the far-right party National Rally.
