
Emmanuel Macron
Voting began in mainland France in the first round of snap legislative elections, with Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigrant, eurosceptic far-right party vying for power in a historic first.
Polling stations began on Sunday at 0600 GMT, after voters in France’s overseas territories cast their ballots earlier in the weekend.
The outcome of the two-round election, which ends on July 7, may have an impact on European financial markets, Western backing for Ukraine, and how France manages its nuclear weapons and worldwide military might.
Many French citizens are dissatisfied with inflation, economic issues, and President Emmanuel Macron’s leadership. Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigrant National Rally party has exploited and fanned that resentment, particularly through online platforms such as TikTok, and has won all pre-election opinion polls.
A new left-wing coalition, the New Popular Front, is also posing a threat to pro-business President Macron and his centrist alliance Together for the Republic.
Following a campaign marked by escalating hate speech, voting began early in France’s overseas territories.
The first polling predictions are due at 1800 GMT, when the final polling stations close, with early official results expected later Sunday night.
Macron called the early election after his party was defeated in the European Parliament election earlier in June by the National Rally, which has a history of racism and antisemitism and is opposed to France’s Muslim population.
It was an ambitious wager that French voters who had become comfortable about the European Union election would be startled into voting for moderate forces in a national election to keep the far right out of power.