Applications for the second round of the legislative elections in France have been closed since 6:01 p.m. on Tuesday, July 2, and candidates have had to express their views to confirm their continued participation or withdrawal. Since the evening of Sunday, June 30, more than 210 candidates who came in third place and qualified for second rounds have withdrawn in an attempt to prevent the National Rally (RN) from obtaining an absolute majority. The ” Republican Front ” hopes that his goal can be achieved.
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The objective of the “Republican front ” to prevent an absolute majority of the far-right party could in theory be achieved. The president of the National Rally (RN) Jordan Bardella could move away from the prime ministership at Matignon. Because the major consequence of these cascading withdrawals is the collapse in the number of triangular races: there were more than 300 on the evening of the first round.
In total, with the 214 withdrawals recorded, only 109 triangular and quadrangular ones remain in the second round, out of the 311 expected at the exit of the polls.
Candidates who are now alone against the extreme right could in principle benefit from a transfer of votes.
More withdrawals among left-wing candidates
These will be left-wing voters who will be the arbiters many duels. Because it is mainly candidates from the New Popular Front who are withdrawing: more than 126. The presidential camp, for its part, has chosen to step aside in 76 cases.
However, it is impossible to know whether this barrier will have an effect. Because there is nothing to indicate that a voter from the presidential camp will automatically vote in the second round for a candidate from the left union… and vice versa. There are many voting instructions, some of which are not always clear. Moreover, they are not always followed.
Another crucial piece of information: participation remains impossible to predict for the moment in this unprecedented configuration.
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