Rabat – In a bid to prevent the far-right National Rally (RN) from securing an absolute majority, around 218 candidates from centrist and left-wing parties have withdrawn from the French legislative election runoff. The move aims to block Marine Le Pen’s party from gaining the 289 seats needed to dominate the 577-seat National Assembly.
The tactical withdrawals come ahead of the second round of elections set for July 7, where the RN, led by Le Pen and her 28-year-old chief Jordan Bardella, is poised to win between 250 and 300 seats according to various projections and polls.
The withdrawals are part of a broader strategy known as the “republican front,” where candidates step down to avoid splitting the vote and ensure the defeat of RN contenders.
Former MP Christopher Weissberg, representing Macron’s Renaissance party, described the coalition of centrist and left-wing parties as a “no brainer” in the fight against the far-right. “In these circumstances, we must be able to stand together with the entire left, even the most radical,” he said on social media platform X.
This alliance reflects the urgency felt by many in France to prevent the RN from gaining a significant foothold in the French government for the first time since World War II.
The first round of voting on June 30 saw the RN emerge victorious with 33% of the votes, followed by the left-wing New Popular Front with 28%, and Macron’s centrist coalition trailing at 20%. The high stakes of these elections are further heightened by Macron’s previous call for snap elections, a gamble that has seemingly backfired.
In a bid to rally support, Le Pen has called on voters to give the RN an absolute majority, promising a government led by Bardella if successful. This has led to heightened tensions and strategic maneuvering by opposing parties, with Macron’s camp and the left urging a united front against the RN.
Macron’s government held on Wednesday its latest cabinet meeting ahead of the second round of the legislative elections.
