Campaigning for a snap parliamentary election kicked off in France on Monday, with opinion polls suggesting the far-right Rassemblement Nationale will win and President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance will finish third, behind the left, Reuters reports.
Political uncertainty sparked heavy selling in French bonds and stocks after Macron unexpectedly called an election after his ruling centrist party was defeated by Marine Le Pen’s National Rally in European Parliament elections.
Macron’s gamble, which caught the other parties off guard with only weeks to prepare for the vote, could backfire, an Ifop poll for the Journal du Dimanche showed.
According to the poll, the anti-immigrant RN will get 35% of the vote in the first round on June 30, 26% for the fragile alliance of left-wing parties, and only 19% for Macron. The second round will take place on July 7. 60-year-old voter Maxime Chetrit said:
“We’re going into uncharted territory, and in my opinion, we are going to move towards an ungovernable Assembly.”
Marie Balta, a pensioner from Nîmes in southern France, shares that concern but says the election could give parliament more power over the actions of the president and government. She also added:
“It’s going to be very difficult, to have a tripartite Assembly with two strong blocks and a much smaller middle, but it’s perhaps a chance to return to more democracy.”
The race has begun
The official election campaign began on Monday after a week in which parties have been rushing to nominate candidates and forge alliances.
Meanwhile, Macron’s allies have repeated warnings that a victory by the RN or the left could lead to a financial crisis. A victory by either party would be a disaster for France, its economy and jobs, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal told RTL radio.
Even French national football team captain Kylian Mbappe has voiced his opinion, calling on young people to “change the situation” at a time when “extremes” are knocking on the doors of power. Some far-right politicians said the French footballer was detached from reality.
Macron gathered key ministers and aides on Sunday night to discuss the election, a source involved in the meeting said, adding that they had decided not to nominate candidates in about 60 constituencies – out of 577 – where they believed another mainstream party candidate had a better chance of winning.
However, some in Macron’s camp have publicly expressed doubts about the snap election. Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told France Inter radio on Sunday:
“This (dissolution of parliament) is the decision of the president, it’s his prerogative. What I observe is that it has created in our country, among the French people, everywhere, worries, incomprehension, sometimes anger. That’s what I see among our voters.”
The RN, which has already said it will cut VAT on energy and reduce the retirement age, intends to detail its economic programme in the coming days.
Meanwhile, European Central Bank policymakers have no plans to discuss an emergency purchase of French bonds and believe French politicians should reassure investors spooked by the prospect of a far-right government, five sources told Reuters.
