Far-Right National Rally Leads French Parliamentary Elections, Sparking Concerns of a Shifting Political Landscape

France’s parliamentary elections have concluded, with the far-right National Rally leading the way according to exit polls. The Ipsos Talon institute predicts that Le Pen’s party will win over 34% of the vote, followed by the “New Popular Front” alliance on the left with 28%, and President Macron’s “Together” camp with 20%.

In response to these results, Macron has called for a broad alliance of democratic and republican forces to block the far right in the second round of elections on July 7. Meanwhile, Le Pen is urging maximum support for the National Rally in order to secure an absolute majority in parliament and potentially appoint Bardella as prime minister.

The National Assembly has 577 deputies, and it is expected that after two rounds of elections, the National Rally could receive 230-280 mandates, the New Popular Front with 125-165 seats, and Together with 70-100 deputies. This follows Macron’s decision to hold early elections following the National Rally’s victory in the European Parliament elections despite his shift towards the right to appeal to their supporters.

Historically, the National Front (now National Rally) has been isolated from French political system. However, recent years have seen them gaining more support. The National Rally has shifted its stance over time and now consistently supports Israel.

The election results in France signal a shifting political landscape with the rise of far-right National Rally and a need for alliances to block their path to power. The second round of elections will be crucial in determining the composition of