June 30, 2024
Polling stations open for unusual parliamentary elections
Voters across mainland France have begun casting their ballots in the country’s early elections, with polling stations opening at 8am (6am GMT/UTC).
The first results are expected at 8pm (18:00 GMT/UTC), when the final polling station is scheduled to close.
Provisional official results are expected to be released late Sunday night.
Voters in France’s overseas territories cast their ballots earlier this weekend.
The election was called by President Emmanuel Macron following his party’s crushing defeat to the far-right National Rally in European Parliament elections in early June.
Opinion polls suggest the Rally National could win a majority in parliament, which would put France under the control of far-right forces for the first time since the Nazi era.
https://p.dw.com/p/4hgYR
June 30, 2024
Which parties are competing in the French general election?
The election will see four major parties competing for parliamentary seats.
of New People’s Front A coalition of left-wing parties and the Greens, it was formed earlier this month after President Emmanuel Macron called general elections. The party’s policy platform includes reversing immigration and pension reforms, a wealth tax and a higher minimum wage. It also wants “immediate recognition of a Palestinian state” and an end to “France’s sinful support” for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. It currently holds 149 seats.
Macron’s Renaissance Party Ensemble (together) UnionThe centrist, pro-EU and pro-NATO coalition aims to make France’s economy and workforce more competitive. It is a vocal supporter of Ukraine’s fight against Russian forces. It currently holds 250 seats in parliament.
Center-right Republican They are a pro-business party that has shrunk significantly after dominating France for decades, and currently holds 61 seats.
Marine Le Pen’s far-right National meeting, The coalition, which is expected to win the most seats in the election, is anti-immigration and anti-EU. It is known for its political and financial ties to Russia. It currently holds 88 seats. Its leader, Jordan Bardella, has said that if elected prime minister, far from sending troops to the conflict proposed by Macron, he would not allow French missiles capable of hitting targets in Russia to enter Ukraine.
https://p.dw.com/p/4hgSu
June 30, 2024
How does the French voting system work?
France has 577 electoral districts, each of which has one representative to the National Assembly in Paris.
A candidate who receives more than 50% of the votes in the first round wins, but this is rare.
Candidates who receive at least 12.5% of the registered vote will advance to a second runoff election to be held on July 7. The highest scorer will win.
The election is not to replace President Macron, who is serving his second and final term until 2027.
However, the prime minister must be chosen from the party that wins a majority in the National Assembly or the House of Representatives.
If either a far-right or far-left coalition wins, Macron would be forced into a period of “coexistence” – a period in which the president and prime minister are elected from different political camps and executive power is divided.
In the case of the far-right National Rally party, that would not be Le Pen, who leads the party’s parliamentary group, but rather its leader, Jordan Bardella.
The prime minister will be responsible for domestic law, while Macron will retain foreign policy decision-making power as head of the armed forces.
If a majority is not reached, the president can nominate a prime minister from the group with the most seats in Parliament.
https://p.dw.com/p/4hgPg
June 30, 2024
Why is France holding sudden elections?
French President Emmanuel Macron has taken a big political gamble by calling parliamentary elections after his centrist party suffered a crushing defeat to Marine Le Pen’s far-right Rally National (RN) party in European Parliament elections earlier this month.
The RN is leading in pre-election opinion polls, potentially leading to the country’s first far-right government since the Nazi occupation in World War II.
The New Popular Front (NFP), a new left-wing coalition formed this month, is in second place, while a centrist coalition including Macron’s Renaissance party is in third place.
Macron’s ruling Renaissance party has 169 members in the 577-seat National Assembly, making it the largest party by number of seats. The Rally National is the largest opposition party with 88 seats.
Analysts expect the RN to win the majority of seats, but it is unclear whether the party will be able to secure the 289 seats needed for an absolute majority.
rmt/rm (Reuters, AP)
https://p.dw.com/p/4hgPe
