French election: Far-right RN projected to win first round | DW News

Electoral history in the making in France Massive voter turnout as president Imamuel MC Stakes his political future by defeating a populist challenge from the far

right

, but his rival at the national rally Marine Leen could well emerge victorious leaving mcco significantly weaker I am Ben Fulan Welcome to our special coverage of

election

night in France just after 8:00 p.m. in Paris and all the polls are already closed, we expect the

projected

results from the French broadcasters at any time, we will bring them to you as soon as they arrive. French President Imam Mak called these

election

s in response to the overwhelming victory of the far-

right

in the elections.

The European parliamentary elections earlier this month have been a major state dispute: opinion polls suggest M's Farite opponents could now win an absolute majority in the National Assembly. Turnout in this

first

round has reached a record 69%, the highest in more than four decades DW Correspondent Lisa Louie joins us from Paris in France. Polling stations are closing, just tell us what those

first

numbers look like. Well, for now we only have exit polls and then you already know the results of a dozen overseas departments where, uh, territories where the national farri R did not. It is not the first when it comes to the departure of the PS and the national departure of the PS, it seems that the far-right National Party really came first.

The second would be the left alliance of Novo FR Popular, then in a third position in the party of M and his allies and then the center right party, the Republicans, now what this means in terms of seats in the National Assembly is quite difficult to say, this is the first or the second, you know of two rounds of voting and you know that it is a direct vote in 577 electoral districts. in many districts, in many polling stations, voting starts like the one behind me here in the north of Paris, people will now try to start voting to count the votes and then send the results to the Ministry of the Interior, so we should know more about The results little by little over the course of the night are that 69% of voters came as a surprise to you Lisa, well it's not really a surprise, this really seems like a historic election, as a headline says .

France is holding its breath. I spoke to today and also in the past in the last few days they told me that this is really important for us, we have to go out and vote and those who were obviously afraid of the far right F, this would be, you know, it could be the first. It is time for the extreme right to really come to power through legislative elections, not through presidential elections, but yes, if they obtained an absolute majority in Parliament, they would present the Prime Minister, who would be a far-right government with Emma MC as a president and that could really rest National politics many people here are afraid to know that there is a danger that the far away will really come to power and yes, many people here in the electoral college today but also as I said in the last The days they have told me that it is very important to go out and vote in these elections.

MC has never been that unpopular, so what's at stake for him here, well, you know, and I think, according to him, it was kind of a genius idea, to at least call this plugin. This election came right after the EU elections 3 weeks ago where the far right came in first place with around 31 percentage points, 8 percentage points more than in the previous EU elections and IM Mar felt that they were really losing momentum, that's also what a friend of mine told me. Yo, he's working in one of the ministries of the current government, he says, you know, there's no more momentum and the government felt like they had to relaunch, you know, this presidency and that's what Makar thought he could do through an election. anticipated. but then many here in France felt that this was not really the right time because doing this right after the EU elections, where the far party has an excellent result, is simply giving them a platform.

Pave the way for the extreme R party to perhaps gain power. and time in Parliament, plus this is the shortest election campaign in the history of France, only 3 weeks, they didn't even have time to print posters to print Le's leaflets, people said, you know, it took us by surprise that we were not prepared. For this campaign we couldn't even fight and try to convince voters to vote for us instead of the national rally. These Louies are there with the latest on those snap parliamentary elections in Paris and let's dig a little bit into that t-o m is a French journalist. based here in Berlin, what do you think of the numbers coming in?

Well, the first numbers we're hearing is that, it's pretty consistent with the results of the European elections, so Macon's bet that the national assembly vote will go down with these national elections. It didn't really work, so we heard 34%, roughly compared to 31%, which is even progress and it's also only double the last national election in 2022, so it's a success for the National r and then. We will see how it turns out in number of seats. That's really the question for the second round. Yes, what kind of government could emerge from this? Do you think it's good? We'll see.

You know, you hear projections and then it's difficult. say between 200 and 300 or even more seats for the asal, which is close to the majority by 289 um, the main question now is to see whether Macron's people's candidate or the leftist candidates will withdraw and what will be the line chosen by the parties. I think Macron's party and its allies will decide on that issue tomorrow and the same will probably happen with the left party, although some of the parties within the left alliance have already said they would support maon if they come third in these districts elections, what is the message?

Do you think you just mentioned the European elections? We don't like you and now we really don't like you at all? Yeah, it's um, I mean, surely um, part of the message is anger at maon and for some people, at least what he's done in the last few years, but also for some people more recently, the people who supported maon now seem supporting other parties and what was really the key to Mro's success when he came to power in 2017 was, you know, it's um, forget all the old parties, um, try something new with me and now The Who are being kicked out.

He's trying to say, well, try me, but people don't like what he did or how he did it, yeah, you're right, it's both. I mean, it's hard to say that France has really been in decline, you know, the economy has been quite resilient in the face of shocks, you know, I think it's really the way he uses power and how he presents himself that has angered people. quite a few. people, it's okay. We'll continue this talk in a moment. Let's take a look at the first projections coming from the French broadcasters on tf1 and it looks like a considerable victory for the far right.

National demonstration with 34.2% in dark blue. The new left. The Popular Front Alliance gets 29.1%, shown in red, in yellow the IM Macon Joint Coalition gets 21.5% and in light blue the center-right Republicans get 10%. These are the

projected

results as of Paris time from APM, so what do you think of those? numbers and colors there, well, you know, we just talked about it with 34%, what may surprise is the Camp Ensemble of um macon with I think 23%, which is almost 10% more than in the elections Europeans, so in that sense you could argue that it's a success for Macon, but you could also see that the Macon part is in third place, which is an MTH, okay, we'll have to talk to Marine Leen and now she's heading to the multitude that honors us. the obl and I am thinking of the voters of the 11th constituency of patal who voted for me directly but nothing has been won yet and the second round is going to be important to prevent the country from falling into the hands of the nest and the anti-republican and anti-Semitic demonstrations of violent groups under Jean L.

Milon, if I were prime minister, of course, I would also give Jordan Bellaa the absolute majority in the National Assembly and launch starting next week the new national unity and harmony again under a democracy nothing It is more normal and healthy than alternating parties in power. The country needs reforms and we need an absolute majority for that and Jordan B needs to be appointed prime minister by President Maon. Without a clear majority, there will always be inertia and other maneuvers to avoid a true alternation of power. that the country needs my fellow citizens please renew your vote if you voted for us in the first round and if you voted for someone else please next Sunday vote for the Coalition for Freedom and Security and on Sunday if you vote for the candidates of the National Union, the country will once again have peace and brotherhood and the energy to be one country in the coming days.

Please beware of those who are unfairly afraid and would simply like to have a system that has served its time. No French citizen will lose any rights. I can promise you that, on the contrary, your rights will be guaranteed and, if the situation allows, new rights will be created for all, my fellow citizens, on this June 30, I hope that hope will live again, so mobilize to win for a long time. long live the republic and long live France, applause for Marine Le Pen there and uh, an interesting speech, uh, speaking of unifying the country, can the far right be a unifying force in France?

Well, it's hard to believe, I mean, you can clearly see that there are two or three blocs and um um the political policy of their far right will be um uh polarizing, it's been the message that they've had for many years, obviously they've tried to polish that message and make it more acceptable to vote. For them, but um, you already saw their last message. M Leen was to say that no citizen will lose their right, which is the complete opposite of what they said, they said like this, for example, that traditional people will lose the right to carry out some jobs in sensitive areas um so um we can expect um quite a bit you know maybe violence but anyway we will see a very strong division within society uhhuh there have been warnings of something like that um how could a second round, uh, low, do you think this just explains to our viewers how this has to go through these two steps?

Well, you know, specifically, you have to have 12.5% ​​within the electoral district to move on to the next round. According to these results, we have many electoral districts with three candidates, perhaps 200 or more, last time in 2022 there were only eight electoral districts with three candidates in the second round, which tells you how strong the mobilization is and also tells us . How difficult it will be to project the results and we will see then if parties like we just said withdraw their candidate how it turns out but surely the National RAS is not far from having an absolute majority and it was their message to the people you know that it gives us a real opportunity to govern, that's what she wants with Jordan Bardel.

It wouldn't be M Leen as Prime Minister. Jordan Bardel is young. Thank you so much. We will contact you later in the evening. the results continue to come, first of all we will take them to Brussels and Jack Parck is waiting for us, with the consequences of these results, let us know, first of all, what a far-right French Parliament would mean for Europe. I think, first of all, it would be a really big shock for the European Union; obviously there are far-right leaders in some of the 27 EU member states, but France is such a powerful economy in the EU that having a parliament led by a farri prime minister would be, first and foremost, very debilitating for the French president, it would mean that during his presidency for the last two and a half years he would be so seriously weakened internally that it would be very difficult for him to act with serious power. and the weight on the EU platform, basically, when he comes to Brussels, he will really have a hard time asserting his power.

I think I think, though, what from a European perspective people are looking at more is that if the Rum National, the national demonstration is successful in that. second round next weekend, many EU officials I have spoken to expect Marine Le Pen to try to push for a quick and early presidential election, and that would be the real deciding factor, not so much Parliament. It would have a big effect, but if there was a far-right president in France and we would probably expect it to be Marine Le Pen if she had managed to force a second presidential election based on a parliamentary election result, that would be of great importance. concern for the European Union Jack, thank you very much for the update, sorry but French farle leader Jean lm is now addressing his followers, let's listen, we have to underline that considerable progress in water distribution has occurred Thanks to the massive actions and commitment of our youth and our people, I want to solemnly thank thetens of thousands of men and women who mobilized alongside us to make that possible and now we are heading towards a second round that is going to be exceptionally intense like the one the country has experienced. decide if you are going to divide further to increase social inequalities religious skin color social Geographic Orin or are you going to unite and be one people who will help each other and work for the common well-being without conditions that is the choice you have to the second round or the new popular front or the national rally and in those conditions we cannot have another proposal we cannot have another reasonable request that we can make, you have to give the absolute majority to the new popular front it is the only alternative but not only is it not Only the fact of voting against or blocking a significant part voting for another future that respects every human being and every living being and that is possible for the second round, the new popular front will be there as dualist in most cases. most of the time opposed to the national rally and then you can vote Directly for us and give us an absolute majority in some cases there are three candidates left and according to our principles and our constant position in all previous elections nowhere are we going to allow the rally to win national and that is why in case they are first and we should be third we are going to withdraw our candidate our candidate will resign and under all the circumstances, whatever they may be and in any case we are giving a direct and clear instruction there is no room for national demonstration we call for clear and simple intentions, all our energies must allow the new popular front to make the New France a reality.

We have a long week ahead of us. Everyone is going to decide and make a decision and that is going to determine the future of our country and our destiny. We are calling on all of you to keep a cool head and be convinced. Every man, every woman needs to take a position and commit and convince. to those around them the future of France is at stake the Republic is at stake the idea we have of our life together is at stake the polls as always will change in our favor overnight as always and the seats that are projected They really have no value except to exert pressure but in reality the future is never written anywhere and always like this in our private life our Collective life depends on the decision and commitment of each one of us with the new popular front a New France, a France of unity is possible, respect for everyone and all living beings all the time right now to all of you.

In the name of my friends and in the thoughts of all those who committed themselves to this fight for the first round, I say that the The future remains open and I say it with fervor on behalf of all of us, long live France, long live our sovereign people. long live the republic, that's the French leader of Farle, je L melon, addressing his followers, uh, saying that it will be a very busy week in French politics and that it is not at stake in the second round, uh, it just brings us Back to this first round, where are we?

What you are trying to tell the voters is um uh, we can still win in the second round, uh, we are 29%, the Ral is 34% if some of Maon's supporters support us in the second round, um, we might have a chance, uh. It is a difficult bet and he is putting pressure, he is saying that we will withdraw our candidates if when we can, when we come third in the electoral districts. In this way, he is putting pressure on the Macon party to also withdraw its candidates when they come third. It might work, but the numbers are pretty clear in favor things can really change within a week, so although we can project seats, we won't know until next Sunday, so the real shock could come next Sunday, journalist .

Tibor M. I hope you're here to explain those upheavals in the French political landscape and now we'll take you back to Jack Parck, he joins us from Brussels. Tell us more about how a pro-EU French president and a Eurosceptic president. Minister could work together yes, I mean, that's the big question and, frankly, they probably can't, I mean, that's the understanding, there have been cases in the past in France where there have been political differences between the Prime Minister and the President , but never as marked as if it were a Jordan Bardel Prime Minister and an Emanuel Macron presidency and this is it, I mean Ju Just Just from a European perspective, Jordan Badella is quite well known, he has been a me, just like Marine Leen, are known in these European circles. he knows how to work in European circles and how to awaken a kind of sentiment and sentiment within European politics.

Emanuel Macron is without a doubt one of the most pro-e uh leaders, let alone French leaders, that we have ever seen or been. Really trying to push forward European integration is diametrically opposed to the kind of proposals of the national demonstration, so it will be really difficult, not only will it affect French politics, which will make it very difficult, I think, for laws to be passed. approved the office of the president and Parliament will really completely disagree and that will have a knock-on effect also on the legislation of the European Union, where there will be so many conflicting messages coming from France that it will actually have much more responsibility.

It will probably fall to the Germans to lead, but we know that Olaf Schultz, the German chancellor, has a very difficult coalition in the future and sometimes he himself has difficulties, so there will probably be a lack of leadership in the European Union from the two bigger economies if this if this happens if the Raslans do well and manage to win parliament next weekend DW's Jack Parck, thanks for joining us from Brussels