The calls from the left to form a republican front to block the RN in the second round of the legislative elections seem to have been heard and are resulting in a series of withdrawals. But the majority still appears divided on the issue.
A Republican front is emerging for the second round of the legislative elections. However, the idea of a strong and collective barrier of the different political parties against the National Rally (RN) did not seem to be imposed for some on the evening of the first round of voting. The results gave a comfortable advantage to the extreme right, which came out on top at the national level with 33.15% of the votes and more precisely in 297 constituencies in France, ahead of the New Popular Front (28.14%) and the presidential majority (20.76%).
Called by the unanimous voices of the left since the evening of the first round of the legislative elections, the Republican front did not appear so obviously to the presidential camp, which was vague. But a few hours before the confirmation of the number of candidates still in the running in each constituency, the deadline for which is set for this Tuesday, July 2 at 6 p.m., the barrier to the RN is being put in place with more than 200 withdrawals from candidates from the left or the majority, who qualified in third position behind the RN and another bloc.
Fewer triangular contests thanks to the Republican front
The tripartism that was established in France for the legislative elections with the emergence of three large blocs – the union of the left, the presidential majority and the extreme right – and the high turnout (66.7%) resulted in a large number of three-way races in the second round, that is to say elections between three candidates: 306 constituencies out of 577 saw three candidates qualify on the evening of June 30.
But these three-way races, which generally favour the candidate who came out on top in the first round, and in this case often the RN, will be fewer in number than expected after the withdrawals of candidates who came in third place in more than 200 constituencies. 124 left-wing candidates withdrew as well as 79 candidates from the majority at midday according to data collected by The world and these candidates systematically called for a vote against the RN and for the party that had become the only opponent of the extreme right in the constituency, whoever it was.
The left unanimous on the formation of a republican front against the RN
“Our instructions are simple, direct and clear. Not one vote, not one more seat for the RN.” Jean-Luc Mélenchon was the first to speak out after the publication of the results of the first round of the legislative elections on the left and called for any other political party to be preferred to that of the far right in the second round. Not being a member of the New Popular Front – he still supports it – the leader of La France Insoumise assured on behalf of his party: “We will withdraw our candidacy, in all circumstances, wherever and in whatever case” when the rebellious candidates have qualified in third place.
The leader of the Socialist Party Olivier Faure also ordered his candidates who came in 3rd to withdraw from the second round “as soon as there is a risk of electing a candidate from the National Rally”, on the evening of June 30. Marine Tondelier, national secretary of the Ecologists, clearly mentioned the “construction of a republican front” against the extreme right. The left is therefore unanimous in its voting instructions and the position to take for the second round of the legislative elections. And it is supported by a portion of its voters, but not by the majority: 34% say they are in favor of the left withdrawing to block the RN, but 51% prefer to see the NFP candidate remain in the event of a three-way race according to an Ipsos poll released Sunday evening.
Confusion and divisions within the majority
Emmanuel Macron’s camp did not call for a republican front with the same force, and several echoes were heard. The head of state first called for a “broad, clearly democratic and republican gathering” without specifying who could enter or be excluded from this movement. “Not a single vote should go to the National Rally” then clarified Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, calling for the withdrawals of qualified candidates who came in third place. “In several hundred constituencies, our Ensemble pour la République candidates will be the best choice to prevent the RN from having an absolute majority. In other constituencies, this will involve the withdrawal of our candidates whose remaining in 3rd position would have elected RN candidates” he declared on the evening of the first round, without specifying, however, whether the withdrawal should be made according to the political label of the New Popular Front candidate qualified against the RN.
For several heavyweights of the majority, this detail is important, notably for Edouard Philippe who called for a barrier against both the RN and LFI. Ministers Aurore Bergé and Bruno Le Maire also refused the systematic withdrawal of the majority candidates facing the New Popular Front, particularly targeting those invested by LFI. A distinction deplored by the other members of the government and the majority who are more from the left. These divisions are also visible within the majority electorate. According to the aforementioned Ipsos poll, 53% of Macronist voters want the presidential candidate to remain, 21% support a withdrawal only if the left is not represented by LFI and 8% want a withdrawal regardless of the candidate capable of beating the extreme right.
These procrastinations and hesitations of the Macronist camp irritate the left, but also in the union and associative circles. Especially since the latter did not fail to point out that it is thanks to the republican front built by the left-wing forces that Emmanuel Macron was able to be elected in the 2017 and 2022 presidential elections against the National Rally, according to them it is time to return the favor to block the RN even if it means losing candidates.
Republicans abstain from voting instructions
The historic channel of the right, weakened by the implosion of the party after the alliance concluded by Eric Ciotti with the RN, came in fourth place at the national level. The Republicans who remained faithful to the party line refused to give any voting instructions in the event of the absence of a candidate from their camp in the second round. But Eric Ciotti’s close associates who allied themselves with the RN castigated the formation of a Republican front to oppose the extreme right.