Hundreds of France election candidates withdraw amid pressure over tactical approach to stopping far right – as it happened

Marine Le Pen leaves the National Rally party headquarters in Paris. Photograph: Yoan Valat/EPA

4.24pm BST

Summary of the day

• According to the latest count by Le Monde, 224 candidates had withdrawn from the second round of France’s snap legislative elections.

• That means that on Sunday there will be 89 three-way races, and two four-way races – as well as 409 two-person runoffs.

• Gabriel Attal, the prime minister, has said that nationwide efforts to prevent Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) winning an outright majority in parliament could succeed. “We can avoid an absolute majority for the far right,” he said.

• François Hollande, a former French president from the socialist party, has said that the New Popular Front has allowed to “rebalance” the left.

• Sandrine Rousseau, from the Ecologists, said she is opposed to a coalition with members of Macron’s camp.

• A poll by Ifop has found that 37% of French voters want the National Rally to win an absolute majority of seats in the national assembly on Sunday.

3.26pm BST

37% of voters want far right to get absolute majority: poll

A poll by Ifop has found that 37% of French voters want the National Rally to win an absolute majority of seats in the national assembly on Sunday.

🇫🇷Enquête @IfopOpinion pour @LCI - Le climat législatif à l’approche du second tour #legislatives2024

👉37% des électeurs souhaitent que le Rassemblement National obtienne une majorité absolue à l’Assemblée

- LR ou DVD : 34%
- RN : 91% pic.twitter.com/rE6GNytbIN

— Ifop Opinion (@IfopOpinion) July 3, 2024