PARIS aEUR” French voters vote for lawmakers in Sunday’s parliamentary election. President Emmanuel Macron is trying to win his majority, but he is under increasing threat from a leftist coalition.
In the first round, more than 6,000 candidates are running for 577 seats at the National Assembly. The decisive second round will be held on June 19, and the winner will receive the most votes.
His centrist coalition, following Macron’s May reelection, is looking for an absolute majority to allow it to fulfill his campaign promises. These include tax cuts, raising retirement age from 65 to 62, and raising the retirement age to 65.
Recent opinion polls indicate that Macron and his allies might have difficulty winning half of the parliamentary seats. A government with a large but not absolute majority could still rule but only if it bargains with legislators.
The main opposition force seems to be a coalition of leftists greens and communists under the leadership of Jean-Luc MA(c).lenchon, a hard-left figure.
MA(c)lenchon asked voters to give his coalition majority, and force Macron to name Macron prime minister. This would lead to a situation known as “cohabitation.”
Platform of leftists includes significant wage increases, lower retirement age to 60, and lock in energy prices.
MA(c)lenchon’s alliance could win more seats than 200, but current projections show that the left has little chance of winning a majority. According to polls, Macron and his allies will win between 260-320 seats.
The two-round voting system for lawmaking is complicated and not proportional to the support nationwide. Districts elect lawmakers.
Since rivals are more likely to withdraw in the second round, the parliamentary election is traditionally difficult for French far-right candidates. This helps to increase the chance of another candidate.
Marine Le Pen, who lost the presidential election to Macron, is leading the National Rally. It hopes to be more successful than it was five years ago when it won just eight seats. The far-right would have at least 15 seats and be allowed to form a group in the parliamentary assembly.
Le Pen is a candidate for reelection herself in Henin-Beaumont in northern France.
Expectedly low voter turnout could also impact results. According to pollsters, less than half of France’s 48.7million electorate will vote.
The polling stations open at 8 a.m. (0600 GMT, 2 a.m. ET) and close at 6 pm in most of France (except for some closing two hour later in large cities).
When it comes to the voting of laws, the National Assembly is in control.
