Following the France election results, there are predictions that France may head for a hung parliament and more political uncertainty. The first round of the snap parliamentary election in France was held yesterday and its official results were announced today by the Interior Ministry. The second round of the election is scheduled for July 7. In the first round Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party has led.
in this round, the country saw a historic turnout that was nearly 85%. The far right’s success in this election can cause President Emmanuel Macron’s oust or his centrist alliance’s remaining three-year term in an awkward partnership with the far right. This election is one of the most significant in decades, for both the country and the rest of Europe. Within two weeks, the country could have a hard-left or hard-right government or incline into a political deadlock if no bloc wins a majority. The RN bloc settled 33.15%, the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) coalition came second with 27.99% and President Emmanuel Macron’s Ensemble alliance stood in third position securing 20.76% of votes. The RN may fall short of the 289 seats obligatory for an utter majority. Forecasts reveal that in the second round, the RN may win between 230 and 280 seats in the 577-seat lower house from its count of 88 in the outgoing parliament.
The NFP is said to secure between 125 and 165 seats, while Ensemble is likely to secure between 70 and 100 seats. In the first round, a total of 76 candidates were elected of which 39 represented RN and its allies, 32 from NFP, and only two from Macron’s alliance. Following news of the results anti-far-right protests broke out in Paris and Lyon, with some 5,500 people gathering in the capital’s Place de la Republique.
Macron’s allies also called on their supporters to prevent the far right from taking office, and have warned against lending votes to RN urged voters to prevent the RN from winning a majority. Former prime minister Edouard Philippe, another Macron ally, said, “No votes should be cast for NR candidates.”
Macron’s decision to call this election took the country and his allies by surprise and Sunday’s vote was held three years earlier than essential and just three weeks after Macron’s Renaissance party was beaten by the RN at the European Parliament elections. Macron pledged to see out the remainder of his presidential term until 2027, but he now faces the scene of having to appoint a prime minister from an opposition party.
The French government faces less trouble in passing laws when the president and majority in parliament belong to the same party. If the case is otherwise then things can be hard. The president determines the country’s foreign, European, and defense policy and the parliamentary majority is responsible for passing laws. It is predicted that a far-right government could cause a financial and constitutional crisis in France.
The RN made lavish spending pledges like the rolling back of Macron’s pension reforms to cutting taxes on fuel, gas, and electricity. It is important to note that in the French system of government, if a candidate wins an absolute majority of votes in the first ballot on a 25% turnout, they win the seat. Typically, only a handful of deputies will be elected this way but most go to a second round.
(By Rana Kashif)