French President Emmanuel Macron, alongside his wife, First Lady of France, Brigitte Macron, leave by car after voting in the second round of the French parliamentary elections at a polling station in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage in France. July 7, 2024 - REUTERS
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The French choose: a “hung parliament” or a difficult coexistence between the presidency and the government
Such an outcome could lead to a hung and chaotic parliament, which would severely impact President Emmanuel Macron’s authority. Likewise, if the nationalist, eurosceptic National Rally party wins a majority, the president may find himself forced into a difficult “coexistence.”
The National Rally party led by Marine Le Pen made historic gains to win in the first round of elections on Sunday, raising the specter of the formation of the first far-right government in France since World War II.
But after the center and left parties joined forces over the past week in an attempt to form an anti-National Rally barrier, Le Pen’s hopes for the National Rally to win an absolute majority in the 577-seat National Assembly appear less certain.
Opinion polls suggest that the National Rally will become the dominant legislative force, but it will fail to reach the 289-seat majority that Le Pen and her 28-year-old protégé, Jordan Bardella, believe will allow them to claim the job of prime minister and pull France sharply to the right.
Voting centers open their doors at eight in the morning (0600 GMT) and close at six in the evening in small towns and cities and at eight in the evening (1800 GMT) in major cities. Initial expectations are announced when voting ends, based on a partial census of a sample of voting centers.
Much will depend on whether voters follow calls from leading anti-National Rally coalitions to prevent the far-right from coming to power, or support far-right contenders.
“The Edge Of The Abyss”
Raphael Glucksmann, a member of the European Parliament who led the French left-wing list in last month’s European Parliament elections, said he considered the second round a simple referendum on whether “the Le Pen family will take over the running of this country.” He told France Inter radio last week that “France is on the brink of the abyss and we do not know whether we will jump.”
Le Pen told TF1 on Wednesday that “the French people have a real desire for change,” adding that she is “very confident” in obtaining a parliamentary majority.
Even if the National Rally fails, it appears poised to more than double the 89 seats it won in the 2022 elections and become the dominant player in an indecisive parliament that will make it difficult to govern France.
Such an outcome would portend a political stalemate until Macron’s presidency ends in 2027, when Le Pen is expected to launch her fourth bid for the presidency of France.
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