At 8 p.m., the French will be determined on the candidates qualified for the second round in these early legislative elections. While a clear breakthrough for the National Rally is expected, the New Popular Front and the presidential camp will seek to qualify in as many constituencies as possible.
These legislative elections are marked by a spectacular increase in participation, the highest in almost half a century. At 5 p.m., this reached 59.39%, or 20 points more than in the first round of the 2022 legislative election at the same time. At the end of the day, participation should be between 67.5% and 69.7%, according to the different polling institutes.
Key information:
⇒ 59.39% participation at 5 p.m., a very sharp increase compared to 2022
⇒ Towards a final participation between 67% and 69%?
⇒ A first deputy elected overseas
7:03 p.m.
Macron will meet the government on Monday noon
According to AFP, Emmanuel Macron will bring together the government on Monday at 12 p.m. at the Elysée, the day after the first round of legislative elections. Gabriel Attal and the members of the government will meet around the Head of State, six days before the second round, while the hypothesis of the accession of the extreme right to power is on the table. In the presidential camp, one of the issues between the two rounds will be the question of voting instructions against the RN and the withdrawal or not of the Macronists if a candidate from another party is better placed against the extreme right in case of triangulars.
This Sunday evening, Gabriel Attal, who voted in Vanves (Hauts-de-Seine), will make a statement at the headquarters of the presidential Renaissance party after 8 p.m., according to his entourage questioned by AFP.
6:51 p.m.
A greatly reduced qualification threshold for the second round?
This expected significant increase in participation may have concrete consequences on the outcome of these legislative elections. Indeed, the qualification threshold for the second round is 12.5% of registered voters. For a final participation of 67.5%, each candidate must therefore reach 18.5% to qualify. According to the Ipsos institute, this could result in nearly 300 triangulars this evening, before possible withdrawals for the second round.
6:40 p.m.
Participation at near-record level?
The first round of these legislative elections should be marked by a clear rebound in participation, estimated between 67.5% and 69.7% by the various polling institutes, compared to 47.5% in the first round of the 2022 election. record since the first round of 1981, when it reached 70.86%.
The lowest forecast (67.5%) is given by the Ipsos institute and its partner Talan for France Télévisions, Radio France, France24/RFI and LCP. The highest (69.7%) is put forward by Harris Interactive and Toluna for M6, RTL and Challenges. Between the two, a participation of 69% is anticipated by Ifop for TF1 and LCI.
5:00 p.m.
59.3% turnout at 5 p.m.
The participation rate in the first round of the legislative elections reached 59.39% at 5 p.m., or 20 points more than in the first round of the 2022 legislative elections at the same time, said the Ministry of the Interior.
This is the highest rate since the first round of the 1978 legislative elections (68.89%), with the exception of the 1986 election, which was held using proportional representation in one round. In 2022, it was 39.42%. During the previous early legislative election in 1997, the rate was 54.59% at the same time in the first round.
Legislative elections: participation in the 1st round at 5 p.m.
© / afp.com/Sabrina BLANCHARD, Bertille LAGORCE
4:30 p.m.
Overseas, a first deputy elected
Overseas, where voting is much less common than in mainland France, voters have turned out more. The outgoing deputies from the centrist Liot group or invested by the New Popular Front (NFP) are in the lead in Guadeloupe and Guyana. In Polynesia, the pro-autonomy candidate Moerani Frébault was elected in the first round. The first elected of the 577 new deputies, he will also be the first Marquesan to sit in the National Assembly.
In Martinique, the National Rally (RN) has managed to qualify one of its candidates for the second round, a first in this department. But with less than 10%, he has very little chance of being elected next week.