CNN
—
Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party has taken the lead in the first round of France’s parliamentary elections on Sunday, initial projections showed, as President Emmanuel Macron’s party slumped to third place.
Initial estimates by IPSOS put the far-right alliance, headed by the National Rally (RN), in first with 34% of the vote, ahead of the left-wing alliance in second with 28.1%, while Macron’s party trails in a distant third with 20.3%.
Projections suggest that, after the second round of voting next Sunday, the RN would win between 230 and 280 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly – falling short of the 289 required for an absolute majority.
The left-wing alliance, the recently-formed New Popular Front (NFP), would have between 125 and 165 seats, while Macron’s Ensemble and its allies would have between 70 and 100.
The projection means that the RN – from which Le Pen has sought to purge the racism and antisemitism that proliferated under the decades-long leadership of her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen – is closer to power than it has ever been before, ahead of the second round of voting next Sunday.
The RN election party in the northern town of Henin Beaumont erupted in celebration as the results were announced.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Abhinav Thawait is a globe-trotting correspondent with a passion for international affairs. With a background in international relations, he offers a global perspective on the most pressing issues around the world. Abhinav’s curiosity takes his to the far corners of the earth, where he seeks to share untold stories and diverse viewpoints.
