Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party has emerged as the frontrunner in the first round of France’s parliamentary elections, according to initial projections released on Sunday. The RN bloc secured 34% of the vote, placing them ahead of the left-wing alliance with 28.1% and President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist coalition, which trailed in third with 20.3%.
Projections indicate that the RN could secure between 230 and 280 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly after the second round of voting next Sunday. However, this falls short of the 289 seats required for an absolute majority. The left-wing alliance, known as the New Popular Front (NFP), is projected to secure between 125 and 165 seats, while Macron’s Ensemble and its allies are expected to have between 70 and 100 seats.
