The first round of crucial new parliamentary elections began at 8am on Sunday in France. Some 49.3 million registered voters are being called to cast their ballots. Head of state Emmanuel Macron hopes to extend his relative majority in parliament. Marine Le Pen’s right-wing National Rally (RN) and the new left-wing alliance of the Greens, Communists, Socialists and the Left Party are seeking a change of government.
The snap elections are not about Macron’s presidency. They could pave the way for the country’s first right-wing populist government since the founding of the current republic.
Polls show that Le Pen’s party recently led with nearly 37 percent, followed by the left-wing alliance. Macron’s forces, which have until now had a relative majority in the National Assembly, were a distant third. Macron called the new elections after the RN’s victory in the European elections on June 9.
The National Assembly is one of France’s two parliamentary chambers. It is involved in legislation and can overthrow the government with a vote of no confidence. If a bloc other than Macron’s centrist camp wins an absolute majority, Macron would be forced to appoint a prime minister from his ranks.
The 577 seats in the National Assembly are determined by majority voting. In the first round of elections, only a few mandates are awarded because an absolute majority of votes is required.
Second elections on July 7
In the second round of elections, in which usually only the two strongest candidates are included in each constituency, the relative majority of votes is sufficient. The second elections will take place on 7 July. In some French overseas territories, voting started earlier.
Source: Krone
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