Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella’s Rassemblement National at 34.2% according to the first results of the 2024 early legislative elections in France. The left-wing bloc Nouveau Front populaire is at 29.1% and the presidential Ensemble at 21.5%.
Le Pen: “We need an absolute majority”
“Democracy has spoken,” says Le Pen in statements reported by Bfmtv, announcing her election. “The French – he adds – have shown that they want to turn the page. I invite you to renew your vote if you have chosen our candidates in the first round. If you have made another choice I invite you to join the coalition of security, freedom and ‘unity. We need an absolute majority.”
“Three weeks before the European elections” French voters have given “a clear verdict” because “by bringing the candidates of the Rassemblement National and its allies to the lead, they have given rise to unprecedented hope throughout the country”, says Bardella, calling the second round “one of the most decisive elections in the history of the Fifth Republic”. Next Sunday, “if the voters grant us an absolute majority, I intend to be the Prime Minister of all French people”, a “cohabitation Prime Minister, respectful of the function of the President of the Republic, but intransigent”. Bardellaof Italian-Algerian origins, said in recent days that “will accept” to be appointed prime minister only in the event of an absolute majority.
Melenchon and Glucksmann: “Stop the right, all united against catastrophe”
“A heavy and undeniable defeat” for Emmanuel Macron according to Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of La France Insoumise. “Macron thought he would close universal suffrage again in the suffocating choice that many do not want, him or the Rassemblement National – he states, as reported by Bfmtv – A mass vote has foiled the trap set for the country. We will withdraw our candidacy” in the event of “triangular” in the second round next Sunday. Our indication is simple – states Mélenchon – not even one more seat for the Rassemblement National”.
“We will support the candidate who can beat the Rassemblement National” in the second round of the French legislative elections, regardless of “differences”, says Raphaël Glucksmann, leader of Place Publique, the revelation of the left in the European elections of June 9.
“This evening we are facing history – he adds – There is no doubt. We will support the candidate who can beat Rn, regardless of the differences”. According to Glucksmann, “we need to form a block, we need a democratic vote and we need to prevent France from sinking. We have seven days to avoid a catastrophe for France”.
The Républicains, however, give no indications on who to vote for in the second round of the early legislative elections scheduled for July 7. The Gaullists announced it in a note.
The presidential coalition: “Pact to beat Le Pen”
Ensemble pour la République, the presidential coalition, asks third-placed candidates to abandon “in favor of candidates capable of beating the Rassemblement National”, those with whom we “share” the “values of the Republic”. For Ensemble, the left-wing bloc Nouveau Front Populaire, “is paying for its alliance with La France Insoumise” and “taking into account the results of the first round, the Nfp alliance will not be able to win” next Sunday and “it will not be able to govern the country, alone and in its present form”. Thus, they conclude “faced with the threat of a victory for the far right, we ask all political forces to act responsibly and do the same”. For the presidential coalition, “everything” in the Rassemblement National project, “their values, their history, make it an unacceptable threat against which we must fight.”
PM Attal: “The right is at the gates of power”
“The far right is at the gates of power.” This was stated by the French Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, commenting on the results of the first round of the legislative elections. The prime minister thanked “all those who put their trust in us”. “It’s not an evening like any other. The Rassemblement National must be prevented from having an absolute majority in the second round” and “not even a single vote must go to the Rassemblement National. The Ensemble candidates who finished third and whose retention could lead to the election of a member of the National Rassemblement will have to withdraw in order to support a candidate who will defend the values of the Republic like us.”
Who gets the seats?
The Rassemblement National could achieve an absolute majority in the National Assembly, even exceeding the threshold of 289 seats. This is according to the projections of the Elabe institute for Bfmtv, Rmc and La Tribune, according to which RN would obtain between 255 and 295 seats at the end of the second round next Sunday.
This is just one of several projections; several assign a relative majority to the Rassemblement National, but not all of them foresee the possibility of an absolute majority.
According to projections from the Elabe institute reported by Bfmtv, the left-wing bloc Nouveau Front Populaire would stop at between 120 and 140 seats and the presidential coalition would come in third, winning between 90 and 125 seats. The Républicains could reach 35-45 seats.
Record turnout
The peripheral polling stations closed at 6 pm. In the big cities, the polls closed at 8 pm. At 5 pm, a record turnout of 59.39%, up 20 points compared to the last legislative elections of 2022, the French Ministry of the Interior reports, recalling that in 2022, 39.42% of those entitled to vote had voted by 12 pm. It is since 1978 that France has not recorded such a high turnout for legislative elections. In 1978, in the first round and again at 5 pm, the turnout was 68% against 59.39% today. In 2022, the turnout at 5 pm for the first round was 39.42%. In 1981, the French media recall, the turnout was 58.3%.
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