Despite the historically low turnout in France’s parliamentary elections, French President Emmanuel Macron’s party and its allies were expected to narrowly win the majority after the first round of voting, according to initial forecasts. Predictions based on individual election results showed that nationally, Macron’s party garnered about 25-26% of the vote, making it optimistic with a new coalition of hard-line left-wing candidates. The President of France Emanuel Macron is waving as he leaves the polling station after the voting in the first round of the French parliamentary elections in Le Touquet, in the north of France, Sunday 12 June 2022. (Ludovic Marin, Pool via AP) However, Macron’s candidates are projected to win more constituencies than their left-wing opponents, giving the president a majority. Some 6,000 candidates ran for the 577 seats in the French National Assembly on Sunday in the first round of elections. The two-round voting system is complex and is not commensurate with the nationwide support of one party. For the French races that did not have a decisive winner on Sunday, up to four candidates who will receive at least 12.5% support will compete in a second round of voting on June 19th. FRENCH PRESIDENT MACRON REACTES TO TEXAS SCHOOL SHOTS, SUPPORTS THOSE WHO STRUGGLE TO END THE VIOLENCE Kitchen table themes dominated the campaign, but voter enthusiasm has waned. At Sunday’s turnout, less than half of France’s 48.7 million voters had cast their ballots. Far-left leader Jean-Luc Melanson, who hoped the election would bring him to the post of prime minister, was among a handful of voters as he voted in Marseille, a southern port city. The hard-core left-wing Jean-Luc Melanson is voting in the first round of parliamentary elections on Sunday, June 12, 2022, in Marseille, in the south of France. (AP Photo / Daniel Cole) Following Macron’s re-election in May, his center-right coalition sought an absolute majority that would allow him to deliver on his campaign promises, such as lowering taxes and raising France’s retirement age from 62 to 65. However, Sunday’s run showed that Macron’s party and allies could have trouble getting more than half the seats in the Assembly. A government with a large (but not absolute) majority would still be able to govern, but would have to seek some support from opposition lawmakers. Polling agencies estimated that Macron’s centrists could win from 255 to more than 300 seats, while Melanson’s left-wing coalition could win more than 200 seats. The National Assembly has the last word on the Senate when it comes to voting on laws. CLICK HERE TO RECEIVE THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION Mélenchon’s platform includes a significant increase in the minimum wage, a reduction in the retirement age to 60 and a lock-in of energy prices, which have skyrocketed due to the war in Ukraine. He is an anti-globalization firefighter who has called on France to leave NATO and “disobey” EU rules. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
