Far right wins first round in France election, but final result uncertain, exit polls show

Supporters of Marine Le Pen, Henin-Beaumont, June 30, 2024. REUTERS/Yves Herman

By Benoit Van Overstraeten and Layli Foroudi

PARIS (Reuters) -Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) party won the first round of France's parliamentary elections on Sunday, exit polls showed, but the final result will depend on days of horsetrading before next week's run-off.

The RN was seen winning around 34% of the vote, exit polls from Ipsos, Ifop, OpinionWay and Elabe showed.

That was ahead of leftist and centrist rivals, including President Emmanuel Macron's Together alliance, whose bloc was seen winning 20.5%-23%. The New Popular Front, a hastily assembled left-wing coalition, was projected to win around 29% of the vote, the exit polls showed.

The exit polls were in line with opinion polls ahead of the election, but provided little clarity on whether once next Sunday's second round is concluded the anti-immigrant, eurosceptic RN will be able to form a government to "cohabit" with the pro-EU Macron.

Marine Le Pen, French far-right leader and far-right Rassemblement National (National Rally - RN) party candidate, reacts on stage after partial results in the first round of the early French parliamentary elections in Henin-Beaumont, France, June 30, 2024. REUTERS/Yves Herman

The RN was seen winning the most seats in the National Assembly, but only one of the pollsters - Elabe - had the party winning an absolute majority of 289 seats in the July 7 run-off.

Experts say that seat projections after first-round votes can be highly inaccurate, and especially so in this election.

Voter participation was high compared with previous parliamentary elections, illustrating the political fervour Macron aroused with his stunning decision to call a parliamentary vote after the RN trounced his party in European Parliament elections earlier this month.

A week of political bargaining now lies ahead.

In a written statement to the press, Macron called on voters to rally behind candidates who are "clearly republican and democratic", which, based on his recent declarations, would exclude candidates from the RN and from the hard-left France Unbowed party.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of French far-left opposition party La France Insoumise (France Unbowed - LFI), surrounded by Manuel Bompard and Rima Hassan, all members of the alliance of left-wing parties, called the "Nouveau Front Populaire" (New Popular Front - NFP), reacts on stage after partial results in the first round of the early French parliamentary elections at LFI headquarters in Paris, France, June 30, 2024. REUTERS/Abdul Saboor

JOINING FORCES

The final result will depend on how parties decide to join forces in each of France's 577 constituencies for the second round.

In the past, centre-right and centre-left parties have teamed up to keep the RN from power, but that dynamic, called the "republican front" in France, is less certain than ever.

The president's decision to call snap elections plunged his country into political uncertainty, sent shockwaves around Europe and prompted a sell-off of French assets on financial markets.

Emmanuel Macron takes a selfie with supporters, Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, June 30, 2024. REUTERS/Yara Nardi

A longtime pariah, the RN is now closer to power than it has ever been. Le Pen has sought to clean up the image of a party known for racism and antisemitism, a tactic that has worked amid voter anger at Macron, the high cost of living and growing concerns over immigration.

Jordan Bardella, President of the French far-right Rassemblement National (National Rally - RN) party, visits a polling station to vote in the first round of the early French parliamentary elections, in Garches, near Paris, France, June 30, 2024. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier

By 1500 GMT, turnout was nearly 60%, compared with 39.42% two years ago - the highest comparable turnout figures since the 1986 legislative vote, Ipsos France's research director Mathieu Gallard said.

France's Prime Minister Gabriel Attal casts his vote in the first round of the French parliamentary elections, in Vanves, a suburb of Paris, on June 30, 2024. ARNAUD FINISTRE/Pool via REUTERS

(Additional reporting by Ardee Napolitano and Janis Laizans in Hénin-Beaumont and Clotaire Achi, Imad Creidi, Lucien Libert in ParisWriting by Estelle Shirbon and Gabriel Stargardter; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Frances Kerry)

People queue to vote in the first round of the early French parliamentary elections, at a polling station in Tulle, France, June 30, 2024. REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq