French left and Macron unite to thwart far-right victory

Candidates in France faced a deadline on Tuesday to register for the run-off round of a critical parliamentary election, as President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist coalition and a left-wing alliance worked to prevent the far right from seizing power.

On Sunday, French voters will participate in the decisive final round of the snap election called by Macron after his party’s poor performance in the recent European elections. This strategy seems to have backfired, with Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) securing a victory in the first round of voting last Sunday.

Macron’s centrist camp finished third, trailing behind the left-wing New Popular Front alliance. To counter the possibility of the far right taking control for the first time since World War II, Macron’s camp has started cooperating with the New Popular Front, which includes the hard-left France Unbowed party. Both groups are encouraging tactical voting to prevent the RN from winning the 289 seats required for an absolute majority.

Macron has called for a broad democratic coalition against the far right, with the political crisis overshadowing France’s preparations for the upcoming Olympic Games.

In a statement to broadcaster TF1 on Monday evening, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal urged voters to deny the far right an absolute majority, calling it catastrophic for the French people and warning that it would fuel societal divisions.

Candidates who finished third in the first round have been urged to withdraw to form a united front against the far right. The deadline for these decisions is 6 pm Tuesday. According to a provisional count by AFP, over 150 left-wing or centrist candidates have already stepped down.

An editorial in Le Monde emphasized the necessity of a strong republican front to prevent the far right from gaining power. Le Pen has called on voters to give the RN an absolute majority, which would make the inexperienced 28-year-old RN leader Jordan Bardella prime minister. However, most projections suggest the RN will fall short of an absolute majority, although the final outcome remains uncertain.

In the first round, the RN received 33 percent of the vote, compared to 28 percent for the New Popular Front alliance and just over 20 percent for Macron’s camp. Bardella criticized the alliance between Macron’s camp and the left-wing coalition, labeling it a desperate and dishonorable move.

Macron held a cabinet meeting on Monday to determine the next steps. He warned that the far right was on the verge of taking power and emphasized the importance of blocking their advance.

France’s Euro 2024 star Jules Kounde also urged voters to block the far right, expressing disappointment at the growing support for a party that opposes unity and respect. He emphasized the importance of preventing the National Rally from gaining power.

Analysts predict the most likely outcome of the election is a hung parliament, potentially leading to months of political instability. With 76 candidates already elected in the first round, the final makeup of the 577-seat National Assembly will be determined after the second round.

If the RN secures an absolute majority and Bardella becomes prime minister, it would create a tense period of cohabitation with Macron, who has pledged to serve out his term until 2027. The election has sparked criticism of Macron’s decision to call the vote, which he made with a small group of advisors. The resulting chaos could damage Macron’s international credibility as he prepares to attend a NATO summit in Washington immediately after the vote.