The French turned out in large numbers to vote this Sunday, June 30, for the first round of historic legislative elections, which could bring the far right to power in a week.
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Polling stations have started to close in mainland France, after a election day marked by unprecedented participation in 38 years. (3 p.m. UT), it stood at 59.39%, 20 points more than during the 2022 legislative elections. It could reach 69.7% at the end of the day, a record since the 1986 legislative elections.
In Overseas France, where voting is much less common than in mainland France, turnout has also increased. At the close of voting, 60.02% of the more than 222,000 voters in New Caledonia had cast their ballot, a significant increase compared to the 2022 legislative elections (32.53%). In Guadeloupe, turnout increased to 33.56%, compared to 25.31% in the previous legislative election in 2022. In Guyana, it rose from 26.7% in 2022 to 32.5% this year. Abroad, the electronic vote that closed on Thursday also saw record turnout, with 410,000 voters, compared to 250,000 two years ago.
Further proof of this enthusiasm is that more than 2.7 million proxies have been established since June 10, according to the Ministry of the Interior, a number four times higher than two years ago.
Also listen toReport France – Legislative elections: sharp increase in proxy requests
In the polling stations this Sunday, many voters expressed their anxiety and excitement for these early elections decided by President Emmanuel Macron on June 9. This election is a little more important, given the danger that threatens us, the racialized “, confided David, 42 years old, to our reporter’s microphone, Amélie Beaucour.
Three weeks of twists and turns
The announcement of this dissolution on the evening of the European elections, where the National Rally (RN) came well ahead, had the effect of a bolt from the blue and took the entire political class by surprise. Especially since the date chosen for the first round required an express campaign, the shortest in the history of the Fifth Republic.
For three weeks, this campaign often took on the appearance of a series of twists and turns, with one incident per day. Despite its internal differences, the left managed to resuscitate a coalition agreement in four days, recalls AFP. But the disagreements between La France Insoumise and its partners, particularly over the contested leadership of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, quickly resurfaced and often disrupted the campaign of this New Popular Front.
For its part, the presidential majority has dragged the figure of Emmanuel Macron like a ball and chain. Seemingly unaware of the exasperation he arouses among a majority of French people, the head of state has persisted in leave your mark on this campaignagainst the advice of many figures in his party who called on him to stay in the background.
Meanwhile, nothing seemed to slow down the RN’s momentum in the campaign on purchasing power and against immigration: neither the vagueness over the repeal of Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform, nor the controversies over dual nationals, nor the sulphurous remarks of certain RN candidates on social networks. Embodied by the smooth face of Jordan Bardella, 28, the National Rally has been soaring in the polls.
If Jordan Bardella entered Matignon, it would be the first time since the Second World War that a government from the extreme right would lead France. The president of the RN, however, warned that he would only accept the post of Prime Minister if his party holds an absolute majority. Otherwise, the risk of a blocked Assembly, without the possibility of an alliance between very polarized camps, is real, a scenario which would plunge France into the unknown.