The far right is on the verge of seizing power. The political world is tearing itself apart over the right stance to take when faced with a risk that has become very tangible. Marine Le Pen's entourage is even getting caught up in the euphoria. So, on Sunday, June 30, she savored the moment, overplaying an air of veteran composure, her e-cigarette dangling from the corner of her mouth. In the northern town of Hénin-Beaumont, where she held her election evening, the three-time far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party's presidential candidate was amused by the excitement gripping her people. RN lawmaker Edwige Diaz called her, crying. MP Sébastien Chenu seized her in his arms, ecstatic: "What have you gotten us into, Marine?" Bruno Bilde, another RN elected representative, poked his head in to joyfully announce the defeat of Communist leader Fabien Roussel. Finally, they all raised a toast to their own re-elections in the first round of the elections.

Boosted at every election by record results, and precipitated by Emmanuel Macron's June 9 dissolution, the far-right wave swept through the Assemblée Nationale in the first round of France's snap legislative elections on Sunday, June 30. The RN, which had allied for the occasion with Eric Ciotti, the embattled president of the right-wing Les Républicains (LR) party, amassed 33.2% of the vote, far ahead of the left-wing Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) alliance (28%) and the presidential coalition (20%) according to the full results from the Interior Ministry. More than 10.7 million people cast ballots for the former Front National (FN) party and its allies. This is the second-highest total in the party's history – behind the 13.3 million votes that were cast for Le Pen in the second round of the 2022 presidential election.

These staggering figures have had immediate consequences. Of the 76 candidates to have already been elected on Sunday, 39 of them ran under the far-right banner. Almost all of this first brown wave were incumbents. Indeed, having secured its hegemony in four departments during the previous parliamentary term, the RN is now in a position to win big in the Pas-de-Calais, Aisne, Yonne, Aube, Ain, Var, Meuse, Lot-et-Garonne and Vaucluse departments, scattered across France. A historic momentum, but insufficient, as it stands, for the heirs of the Front National to establish themselves in government: Jordan Bardella, the party's president, repeated throughout the campaign that he would only agree to be appointed as prime minister in the event of an absolute majority (i.e. 289 seats). However, as early as Monday morning, Chenu announced on the France 2 television station that the RN would govern if it obtained a relative majority and secured enough support: "If there is enough there, we will assume our responsibilities before the French people."

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