France heads to snap polls with far right eyeing power

On Sunday, French citizens participated in the initial round of snap parliamentary elections, a critical event that could potentially elevate Marine Le Pen’s far-right party to power, marking a historical shift. This election comes amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine now in its third year, which has escalated food and energy costs, bolstering support for Le Pen’s anti-immigration and eurosceptic National Rally (RN) despite President Emmanuel Macron’s efforts to curb its rise.

Polls opened at 8:00 am across France, setting the stage for a day of voting that concluded with projections at 8:00 pm. The overseas territories had already voted earlier. A significant turnout was anticipated among the 49 million eligible voters.

Julien Martin, an architect from Bordeaux, expressed concerns about the uncertain outcomes and significant societal implications of these elections. In New Caledonia, voters showed up against a backdrop of recent violence, highlighting the tense atmosphere.

Cassandre Cazaux, a local nurse, emphasized the crucial nature of this vote, though she was uncertain about voter turnout. By midday, 32.4% of the voters in New Caledonia had cast their ballots, a noticeable increase from the previous year’s legislative elections.

Prominent figures such as former president Nicolas Sarkozy, Green party leader Marine Tondelier, and Macron ally Edouard Philippe were among the early voters. Philippe, now the mayor of Le Havre, mingled with the public, hinting at his presidential aspirations.

The election, determining the 577 seats of the National Assembly, will conclude with a second round on July 7. Polls predict the RN might secure the most seats, though it’s uncertain if they will achieve an outright majority, with final polls showing RN leading but without a clear majority.

Amid predictions of a hung parliament, which could lead to political gridlock, Macron’s decision to call for these snap elections following the RN’s strong performance in the European Parliament elections caught many by surprise and added to economic uncertainties, with the Paris stock exchange seeing significant declines.

The heightened tensions were visible in public demonstrations, with the Femen feminist collective protesting against the far right in Paris and over 100,000 participating in an LGBTQ Pride march, expressing opposition to rising intolerance.

The campaign period has been marred by increased hate speech and incidents of racism, including a viral video of RN supporters attacking a black woman. Macron has condemned these acts and defended his decision to call the elections as a necessary move to steer France’s future, cautioning that victories by either far-right or hard-left groups could plunge the country into turmoil.