In a written message, the president called for the formation of a Democratic and Republican bloc for next Sunday’s elections, after the political force led by Marine Le Pen won in the first round with 33-34 percent of votes, ahead of the left and the ruling party.
Macron considered the high participation at the polls, the highest in recent decades in legislative elections, with 67 percent, demonstrates the interest of the French in clarifying the political situation in the country.
On June 9, the head of state dissolved the National Assembly and decreed the holding of new parliamentary elections, after the broad victory that day of the extreme right in Europe.
According to projections, RN could approach, and even achieve, an absolute majority in the Assembly (at least 289 of its 577 deputies), whose final composition will not be known until July 7, after the second round.
Various voices demanded action at the polls to prevent the eventual coming to power of the extreme right, among them the former socialist president and candidate for deputy François Hollande.
From the New Popular Front, a left-wing bloc that finished second in today’s elections, leaders such as Jean-Luc Mélenchon (La France Insoumise), Olivier Faure (Socialist Party) and Marine Tondelier (ecologists) called to join the crusade against RN in the runoff.
In that sense, they announced that the left will withdraw its candidates who advance in third place in the constituencies to the second round, in order to stop the extreme right.
For her part, Le Pen urged the French to support RN, stating that the people decreed in the legislative elections the end of the government of Macron, who has been in the Elysée for seven years.
The president of the winning party on Sunday and candidate for prime minister, Jordan Bardella, promised that if he takes office, “he will be a prime minister for all French people.”
Likewise, he offered to govern respecting the Constitution and the functions of the President of the Republic (Macron), who would be forced to cohabit in power, if RN finally achieves an absolute majority in the National Assembly.
Bardella also announced that he will act with intransigence in the policies outlined by the organization in its government program.
The eventual rise to power of the extreme right worries a part of France, due to its views on issues such as immigration and relations with the European Union.
However, another sector sees RN policies as the solution to the country’s ills, such as the loss of purchasing power and insecurity.
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