The French are set to cast their ballots in the first round of early parliamentary elections today. These elections were called by President Emmanuel Macron following the revelation of the results of the European elections. Ifop Fiducial’s Gallup’s most recent poll shows that the extreme-right National Coalition led by Marine Le Pen is projected to receive 36 percent support, making it the largest group in French history. The coalition’s attitudes towards Russia and Europe have raised concerns, with Le Pen promising to hold a referendum on the primacy of the French constitution over European law.
Mujtaba Rahman, an expert in European politics at the Eurasia Group Research, predicts that if elected, the National Coalition may steer European politics in a different direction, potentially impacting French support for Ukraine. Candidates need to receive at least 12.5 percent of the votes in their constituency to advance to the second round. Despite Le Pen already looking ahead to the 2027 presidential elections, Jordan Bardella, a protégé of Le Pen’s and 28 years old, is likely to become prime minister if they win.
The polls will close in France at 20:00 Finnish time, and their results could have significant implications for France’ future as well as Europe and Ukraine.
