But the two-round system could change things
Rome, 27 June (askanews) – Three days to the early legislative elections in France called by President Emmanuel Macron after the result of the European elections. Politicians are hitting the streets for this lightning electoral campaign; Prime Minister Gabriel Attal also on behalf of the centrist president, and for example on the left the former President of the Republic Francois Hollande who is seeking a seat as a deputy again.
While the head of state is at the European Council in Brussels, some voters continue to ask questions. Jean Daniel Lévy of the French polling institute Harris also says this, according to which abstentionism will generally be decreasing because voters have clear ideas having just voted for the European Parliament. But Macron’s centrist voters, he says, are uncertain whether to go to the polls. And the same is true for left-wing voters; their reference parties have all reunited in the broad coalition of the New Popular Front.
“I am generally in favor of the left-wing coalition but consider the prominence that Jean Luc Mélenchon’s populist left has taken as an obstacle,” says Lévy. “In the same way there are voters who perhaps in the past had voted for Macron but who do not understand the president’s decision to dissolve parliament.”
In short, a picture that should favor the far right of the Rassemblement National and its prime ministerial candidate Jordan Bardella, Marine Le Pen’s protégé. In the European elections they had 31%, more than double that of Macron’s party.
“I voted for Macron in the last elections but now that party no longer interests me,” says one voter. “I have no faith in the socialist party allied with Mélenchon but I don’t want to vote far right because I don’t know what will happen” says another. “For the first round I know who to vote for but if the left and the far right go in the second, then it’s more difficult…”
Yes, because in the complex French electoral system even the legislative elections have a double round and all candidates who have obtained at least 12.5% go to the second round. This is why it is very difficult to make predictions.
“We must be even more cautious about the second round,” Lévy concludes, “because we don’t know who will get there, what indications will come from the various parties, and what else will happen in the electoral campaign.” The vote will be held again a week later.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Read the full article on
The messenger
