The turnout in the second round of early legislative elections reached 59.71% this Sunday, July 7 at 5 p.m., proof of the mobilization of the French for this historic election from which the National Rally could emerge victorious, but with great uncertainty over its ability to obtain an absolute majority in the National Assembly.
The French have not turned out to vote as much since the 1981 legislative elections. Emmanuel Macron, for his part, would not rule out speaking this evening, “depending on the election results”, his entourage declared. The head of state will receive the Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, and the party leaders of the presidential camp from 6:30 p.m. Follow the results of the election evening live.
Key information to remember
⇒ The final participation could reach or even exceed 67%
⇒ 59.71% participation at 5 p.m., unheard of since 1981
⇒ Emmanuel Macron receives Gabriel Attal and the party leaders of the presidential camp from 6:30 p.m.
7:12 p.m.
Benjamin Morel: “If Macron triggered Article 16, he would be acting a bit like Putin”
For the constitutionalist, French institutions will have to adapt to the new political configuration that will emerge after the second round of legislative elections. Read our interview.
6:47 p.m.
The warning from the head of German economists: “I am honestly worried about France…”
For Monika Schnitzer, president of the German Council of Economic Experts, a further downgrade of the French debt rating is “possible”. Germany will have to look for “new allies” in Europe, she warns. Read our interview.
6:38 p.m.
The weight of the Macronist electoral since 2017
The weight of the Macronist vote in France over the course of the elections, in %.
© / The weight of the Macronist vote in France over the course of the elections, in %.
6:15 p.m.
Towards an even higher turnout than in the first round?
The final turnout could reach or even exceed 67%, according to estimates from the polling institutes Ifop, Ipsos, OpinionWay and Elabe. This would be the highest rate since the last early legislative elections in 1997, and a level higher than the turnout in the first round, which was 66.7%. This would also be the first time since 1997 that it would have increased between the two rounds.
In 2022, the final turnout for the second round of the legislative elections was 46.2%. In 2017, it had risen to 42.6%.
6:10 p.m.
Macron will receive Attal and the party leaders of the presidential camp at 6:30 p.m.
Emmanuel Macron will receive Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and the leaders of the outgoing majority parties at the Elysée from 6:30 p.m., sources within the presidential camp told AFP, confirming information from Le Figaro.
This meeting will take place an hour and a half before the announcement of the results of the second round of the early legislative elections. According to the entourage of the Head of State, however, there is “no speech envisaged at this stage” by the President of the Republic after the vote.
6:05 p.m.
59.71% of voters at 5 p.m., the highest turnout since 1981
The turnout in the second round of the legislative elections reached 59.71% on Sunday at 5pm, compared to 59.39% at the same time in the first round, the Interior Ministry indicated. This figure is the highest for legislative elections since those of 1981 (61.4%), which followed the election of François Mitterrand to the Elysée.
The departments that had mobilized the most at 5 p.m. were Tarn, Dordogne, Finistère and Seine-Maritime, which had already all exceeded 67% participation. In contrast, barely four voters out of ten had turned out in Seine-Saint-Denis.
6:00 p.m.
New MPs already elected
Disappointment for the RN in the overseas departments and territories during this second round of the legislative elections. While the mainland votes until 6 p.m. (8 p.m. in the big cities), the count has already been carried out in many overseas localities, where voting took place yesterday. As in the first round, the left comes in first place almost everywhere. The Express make the point.