Far-Right Party Gains Ground in French Parliament Elections as Macron Calls for Early Elections

President Emmanuel Macron called for early parliamentary elections on Sunday, with the second round set for July 7th. More than 49.5 million citizens were invited to participate in the elections, where they would choose their 577 deputies.

The far-right National Assembly (RN) is currently leading in opinion polls with an average of 36%, even higher than their previous victory in the June 9 European elections. The New People’s Front (NFP), representing the left, has an average of 28.2% in the polls, while the Macronist bloc is further behind with an average of 20.3%.

RN president and candidate for prime minister Jordan Bardella insists that he needs an absolute majority to implement his election program without hindrance. Voters will elect 539 deputies from metropolitan France, 27 from overseas territories in the Pacific, Indian Ocean and Caribbean, as well as 11 representatives of French living abroad.

The first round will give voters a general idea of their opinions on each party, but it may not accurately reflect the final composition of the National Assembly due to its complex voting system and alliance strategies between parties. In past elections, such tactics have helped keep far-right candidates out of power. However, support for Le Pen’s party has grown significantly and could make it difficult to predict what happens in this election cycle.