Explainer: Why does France need another election? Can it dethrone Macron?

France heads to the polls on June 12 and 19 for parliamentary elections. Support for President Emmanuel Macron's Ensemble (Together) alliance is falling, raising questions over whether he will win an absolute majority in parliament.

Macron's 'Ensemble' bloc is seen winning 28% of votes in the first round, versus 27.5% for the left-wing 'Nupes' bloc.

It added that Macron's centrist camp was expected to win between 275 and 315 seats in the French parliament, where an absolute majority requires 289 seats. Macron needs a majority to help implement pro-business reforms.

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Why winning the Presidential election is not enough?

Macron won a second mandate in April as France's centrist, pro-European president. But that is not enough. He also needs to win a majority in the lower house of parliament this month to maintain full control over his reform agenda.

What do the polls forecast?

Voter surveys had until recently shown Macron's party and its allies - collectively known as Ensemble - winning an absolutely majority in the 577 seat parliament. But that outcome has become less certain in recent days.

Momentum is on the side of a left-wing coalition led by hard-left veteran Jean-Luc Melenchon. Melenchon is unlikely to win the 289 seats required for an absolute majority but may win enough to deprive Macron of the same.

What if Macron falls short of the majority?

Falling short of an absolute majority would be a big setback for Macron. It would force him to broaden his alliance. The broader the alliance the more complicated deal-making, and dictating policy decisions become.

The left-wing coalition led by hard-left veteran Jean-Luc Melenchon is seen second in polls, but the conservative Les Republicains could end up being kingmakers if Macron's Ensemble alliance falls short of an absolute majority.

A minority cabinet or coalition government would be an unusual scenario for modern-day France. The Fifth Republic was designed to avoid unwieldy coalitions.

If an opposition grouping were to surprise and win a majority, Macron would have to name a prime minister from the winning camp, ushering in a period of so-called cohabitation.He would retain the lead on foreign policy but leave responsibility for most day-to-day policy matters to the government.

How does the polling take place?

Voting takes place between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. (0600-1800 GMT) on June 12. In constituencies where no candidate gets 50% of votes in the first round, a run-off vote is held on June 19, with every candidate who won the support of at least 12.5% of registered voters eligible to advance.

Polling for legislative elections is trickier than the presidential election as different dynamics on the ground make it harder to predict who will win nationwide.

What are the parties fighting for?

Macron's La Republique en Marche party single-handedly won 314 seats in the 2017 legislative elections but gradually lost lawmakers to stand at just under 270 now. It maintained control over parliament thanks to its allies, who have around 80 lawmakers.

France's two mainstream centre-left and centre-right parties dominated the French political landscape until Macron's election in 2017. Five years on both are still fighting for political relevance and the tectonic plates have shifted.

[with inputs from agencies]

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