Legislative elections in France: The far right advances in the final week of the election campaign

A week before the first round of legislative elections in France, the far right enters the final stage at the top of the opinion polls and seeks to obtain an absolute majority, followed by the left and the presidential camp, which calls for reducing the votes. “The beginning of my republic.”

The far-right National Rally party and its allies, including the head of the classic right Republicans Eric Ciotti, will receive between 35.5 and 36% of the vote, respectively, an Elabe poll conducted on Sunday for the daily La Tribune indicates, and 36% of the vote. Another from the Ipsos Institute for Le Parisien newspaper and Radio France.

He is ahead of the New Popular Front, the coalition of leftist parties (27 vs. 29.5%), and the camp of President Emmanuel Macron (19.5 vs. 20%).

Before entering the second week of the campaign, RN party leader Jordan Bardella seeks to play the appeasement card and wants to bring people together, in an interview with the Sunday Journal (JDD).

He says: “I want to reconcile the French and be prime minister of all French people without any discrimination,” repeating that he will not accept the position unless he obtains an absolute majority in the legislative elections.

If successful, he pledged to be “the prime minister of everyone, including those who did not vote for me”, and promised to “respect all French people, whoever they are and wherever they come from.”

Meanwhile, he targets radical left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, whom he considers his rival for the position of prime minister, warning of the “danger of the most brutal and sectarian left.”

Mr. Mélenchon, leader of the Intrepid France party, has refused to “get rid of or impose himself” as prime minister if the left wins the second round on July 7. “Mr. Bardella is Macron wrapped in racism,” he attacked, stressing that the head of state “is campaigning to have a Prime Minister from the National Front party.” [car] He spends his time hitting us.”

'Need a third force'

In opinion polls, Emmanuel Macron's popularity is still in free fall, even if it has not reached its nadir during the yellow vest crisis in 2018: it lost 4 points to 28% in La Tribune's Ipsos scale.

The same trend in IFOP numbers for the JDD, losing 5 points on 26%, while its Prime Minister Gabriel Attal also gave up ground (-4 points), but remained around 40% more popular.

The presidential camp, caught between the National Front and the New Popular Front, issued calls for a “republican surge” against “extremists” during the first round.

“Our country needs a third force, responsible and rational, capable of acting and calming down,” outgoing National Assembly Speaker Yael Brown-Bevier said in the daily newspaper La Tribune.

The sudden decision taken by Emmanuel Macron to call early legislative elections after his failure in the European elections that took place on June 9 against the National Front party – which received twice the number of votes in these elections as his Ennahda party – represents the biggest risk he has taken. Since coming to power in 2016. 2017.

The French President, who is finding it difficult to implement his agenda since losing his majority in the National Assembly during the legislative elections in June 2022, defended his decision as a necessary choice to “clarify” the political scene.

The head of state, whose term ends in 2027, ruled out resignation whatever the outcome of the elections.

But if the National Front emerges as a clear winner, “its moral error will be very colossal,” says Vincent Martini, professor of political science at the University of Nice (South-East), and “we can imagine that the single party will be the honorable solution.” [sa] resignation.”