After disappointing results for President Emmanuel Macron’s party in the EU elections, France is back at the polls. Will the far-right make a breakthrough, or can Macron maintain his majority?
France is heading to the polls for the first round of the snap legislative elections today (30 June).
A total of 49.5 million voters are eligible to elect 577 representatives in the National Assembly. French President Emmanuel Macron stirred up a political storm following the poor performance of his party, Renaissance, in the European elections on 9 June.
After a victory by National Rally, the far-right party led by Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen, Macron opted to dissolve the legislature to clarify voters’ will.
Macron has considerable powers under the French constitution, but the lower house of Parliament also holds significant influence. A shift towards the right could lead to a period of “cohabitation”, with the centrist President forced to work alongside a far-right Prime Minister.
