Rabat – As France braces for the second round of its snap legislative elections this Saturday, President Emmanuel Macron has firmly ruled out forming a coalition with the hard-left France Unbowed party, France 24 reported.
Macron’s declaration came on Wednesday during his government’s final cabinet meeting before the crucial vote. “Just as we say that not a single vote goes to RN, it’s out of question that France Unbowed joins the government,” he emphasized.
The legislative elections, which were triggered by Macron’s unexpected dissolution of the National Assembly on June 9, have seen a significant realignment among political parties.
Macron’s centrist alliance party, Ensemble, and the left-wing New Popular Front have both urged their candidates to withdraw in districts where their opponents stand a better chance of defeating the far-right National Rally (RN). According to Le Monde, 218 candidates have stepped aside, with 130 from the left and 82 from Macron’s camp.
The National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen and her protege Jordan Bardella, secured the most votes in the first round on June 30. However, they did not achieve an outright majority, leading to intensified efforts by other parties to block their path to power. The left-wing and centrist candidates have merged into what’s known as a “republican front” to prevent an RN majority in the Assembly.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has also weighed in, warning against the rise of far-right politics in Europe and urging vigilance against narratives that dehumanize migrants and asylum seekers.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has echoed these concerns, condemning the RN’s candidates for their racist and anti-migrant views and calling their economic policies a potential catastrophe.
