Voter turnout in France could reach its highest levels in the last 50 years as the second round of voting is underway Sunday in a high-stakes parliamentary election that so far has positioned the far-right National Rally to gain power in the National Assembly.
France's President Emmanuel Macron signs an autograph as he greets supporters after casting his vote ... [+]
President Emmanuel Macron last month called a snap election that he hoped would put an end to a rising tide of nationalist parties with historical ties to racism, antisemitism and Russia, but the election has instead poised France to have the far-right hold its most power since the Vichy government of World War II.
The far-right National Rally came out ahead after the first round of voting last Sunday with 33% of the vote, followed by the New Popular Front leftist coalition (which includes socialist and communist parties) in second place at 28% and the centrist Together for the Republic coalition (including Macron’s Renaissance Party) with 20%, according to the country’s Interior Ministry.
After the first-day loss, opposing parties joined together to try to block the National Rally advance and even withdrew candidates in some constituencies in an effort to not split the anti-far-right vote.
Despite the early victory, the National Rally is not expected to win an absolute majority (289 of the 577 seats) in the National Assembly, CNBC reported, but will likely win many seats and gain more power in the French government.
Voter turnout for the second—and final—day of voting hit 26.6% as of mid-day Sunday, according to local news outlets, the highest in a French election since 1981.
Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here.
If no party has a majority in the National Assembly, the result is a hung parliament. The split in power could force Macron to pursue coalition negotiations with other groups or name a technocratic government, in which leaders are not chosen for their political affiliations.
If National Rally wins the parliamentary majority, which appears far from likely given the party only won a third of the vote in the first round, Macron would likely be forced to name 28-year-old party leader Jordan Bardella as prime minister, resulting in a split-party government known in France as “cohabitation.” It would be the first time power would be shared between parties since the early 2000s and likely lead to gridlock in government. But Bardella has said he is not interested in the job if his party does not win the absolute majority, which leaves uncertainty as to who would take the prime minister position. Even without a majority, Macron's choice for the position would still need to reflect the make-up of the new Assembly.
The elections will end at 8 p.m. local time (2 p.m. EST). Initial polling projections are expected soon after, and official results will likely be available late Sunday and early Monday.
The captain of France's national soccer team, Kylian Mbappé, has urged voters to cast ballots against politically extreme candidates and called the results of the first round of voting "catastrophic."
A National Assembly election was not due in France for another three years, but Macron called the snap election after his party fell in a June 9 European election to the National Rally party. After the loss, Macron called on the country to build a new coalition of those “who do not recognise themselves in the extremist fever." His aim was to restore power to the center, but the elections have instead likely handed more power to the National Rally. Macron has said he will not step down as president before his term expires in 2027 no matter the results, which could lead to lame duck years of governmental gridlock due to the splitting of power. The popularity of Macron and his party has been falling for years and he failed to secure an absolute majority in the 2022 National Assembly elections, which has hamstrung his ability to govern, much like when Congress and the White House are controlled by different parties in the United States.