Emmanuel Macron Party's Staring At Defeat In France As Far-Right Surges Ahead In First-Round Polling

Is France preparing for a change in its political landscape?

On June 30, Marine Le Pen's far-right party National Rally leaped into a great lead in the first-round voting for the lower house of the Parliament.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who called the surprise elections just three weeks ago after his stinging defeat, prompted voters to rally against the far right in the second round of balloting.

"I have decided to give you back the choice of our parliamentary future through the vote. I am, therefore, dissolving the National Assembly," said Macron.

His prime minister also warned France that if voters don't come together to stop the emerging political force in round two, it could end up with its first far-right government since World War II, which has historic ties to Russia, racism, and antisemitism and is hostile toward France's Muslim community.

The choice of the French public does not seem to be what Macron imagined. His Renaissance (RE) party appears to be out of the fight, falling to the third place, reported CNN.

The IPSOS estimates show the far-right alliance, headed by the National Rally (RN), in the first place with 34 per cent of the vote, the left-wing alliance in second with 28.1 per cent, while Macron's party slacks third with 20.3 per cent.

The projections suggested that after the second round of voting on July 7th, the RN would win between 230 to 280 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly. The left-wing alliance, the recently-formed New Popular Front (NFP), would have a tally between 125 to 165 in its kitty, and Macron would only have between 70 and 100, as per CNN.

Many French voters are frustrated about inflation, economic concerns, as well as President Emmanuel Macron's "arrogant and out-of-touch" leadership.

Marine Le Pen's anti-immigration National Rally party used this to their advantage via online platforms like TikTok, and led in pre-election opinion polls.

"People don't like what has been happening," said Cynthia Justine, 44. "People feel they've lost a lot in recent years. People are angry. I am angry." She added that it was important as a woman to vote since women haven't always had that right. And "because I am a Black woman, it's even more important. A lot is at stake on this day."

If the National Rally wins a parliamentary majority, Macron would be expected to designate 28-year-old National Rally President Jordan Bardella as prime minister in an awkward power-sharing system known as "cohabitation."

However, Bardella, who has no governing experience, says that he would carefully use the powers as the prime minister to stop Macron from supplying long-range weapons to Ukraine for the war with Russia.

At Le Pen's election celebration in Henin-Beaumont, 41-year-old Edouard Guillebot said the far right's success was much anticipated.

"This is a revenge of the people against the elites, in the media and politics. I am of those who have voted for everyone. They lied to us by telling us immigration was a chance for the country," he said.