French PM expresses confidence in preventing far-right majority
French elections
France’s Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has expressed hopefulness that nationwide efforts to prevent Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) from securing an outright majority in parliament could be successful.
This follows after over 200 candidates withdrew from Sunday’s (Jul7) legislative election runoff to avoid dividing the anti-far-right vote.
“We can avoid a total majority for the far right,” Gabriel Attal said on Wednesday (Jul3), adding that 90% of candidates from President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist camp had quit.
The RN and its potential future prime minister, 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, secured a commanding lead in last Sunday’s first-round election with 33% of the vote. They were followed by the New Popular Front (NFP) alliance at 28% and the President’s Together alliance at 20%.
According to some pollsters’ initial estimates, RN could return as many as 300 deputies.
The significant number of withdrawals ahead of the runoff makes that outcome less likely. One poll released on Wednesday predicted that the RN would not secure a majority on Sunday, projecting between 190 and 220 seats.
The Harris poll showed that the leftist New Popular Front alliance would win 159 to 183 seats, while President Emmanuel Macron's Together alliance would win just 110 to 135 seats.
Various other parties would win 17 to 31 seats.
In a cabinet meeting on Tuesday (July 2), Macron rejected the alternative of an alliance that would include the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) party of Jean-Luc Melenchon, one participant said.
Le Pen has said she could reach out to other parties if the RN falls short of an absolute majority.
While her prime ministerial pick Jordan Bardella has said he would decline to form a government without a sufficiently strong mandate.
Le Pen has spent years attempting to soften the image of the RN, but rights groups express concerns about its "national preference" and anti-migrant policies. Additionally, its strong Euroscepticism presents significant challenges to future European integration.
It has indicated plans to reverse Macron's reforms, such as move to increase the retirement age, but economists question whether RN spending plans are fully funded.
(With inputs from agencies)