The extreme right wins for the first time in the French legislative elections, although without an absolute majority, according to polls
The far-right National Regrouping party is the winner of the first round of the legislative elections this Sunday in France, with 34.2% of the vote, according to the estimate of the Ifop institute for the TF1 network at the close of schools. In second position was the left-wing New Popular Front coalition, with 29.1%. The candidacy of President Emmanuel Macron, Ensemble (Together), which currently makes up the first group in the National Assembly in number of deputies, would be far away, in third position, with 21.5%.
Ifop’s estimates are similar to those of other polling institutes, although the percentages may vary throughout the night. But they place the RN in an advantageous position to be the first parliamentary force after the second round, next Sunday, and aspire to form a government.
The turnout, which is estimated to be close to 70%, is the highest in a legislative election since 1981. Since all candidates who have obtained more than 12.5% of registered voters qualify for the second round, the high turnout means that there will be dozens of so-called triangular districts, that is, with three candidates present in the second round.
In the first round of the previous legislative elections, two years ago, it was 47.5%. So there were only 8 districts with triangular ones. On July 7 there could be more than 200.
The triangular ones disperse the vote, which can facilitate the election of the RN candidates, who start in the lead. If the least voted candidates withdraw to concentrate the vote against the extreme right, Le Pen’s candidates could have a more difficult time achieving an absolute majority.
