French premier calls for countering far right after its victory in snap elections

ANKARA

France’s prime minister called Sunday for countering the far-right National Rally (RN) party after its victory in snap elections.

“Not a single vote must go to the RN,” Gabriel Attal said in a live address to the nation after the preliminary results were revealed.

Attal, who is a member of President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance, stressed that the National Assembly, the lower chamber of the French parliament, was never under such a risk in its history.

“Our objective is clear: preventing the National Rally (party) from achieving an absolute majority in the second round, from dominating the National Assembly,” he added.

He noted that “everyone understood” that the left-wing New Popular Front alliance would not have an absolute majority in the next round.

The second round of the elections will be held on July 7.

'End of Macron’s bloc'

The far right hailed the victory against Macron’s bloc following the preliminary results of the snap elections.

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen hailed the “end of Macron’s bloc.”

“Democracy has spoken. The French have placed the National Rally and its allies on top and have practically erased the Macronist bloc.

“We need an absolute majority,” she added.

RN President Jordan Bardella warned against a left-wing victory and vowed that he would be a prime minister of a coalition “respectful of the Constitution and the president's function but uncompromising on the policy" that his party would implement.

The leading figure of the left-wing alliance the New Popular Front, Jean Luc-Melenchon, said these polls “inflicted a heavy and undeniable defeat” on President Macron.

Melenchon also called for countering the RN and said: “Nowhere will we allow the RN to prevail…Our instruction is simple, direct and clear. Not a vote, not one single more seat for the RN.”

The RN got 33.5% of the vote, according to exit polls, the daily Le Figaro reported.

The New Popular Front gathering the left-wing parties received 28.5% and came in second for now, while the centrist Together for the Republic alliance backed by President Macron ranked third with 22.1%.

A 12-hour-long voting process ended on Sunday where over 49 million registered voters cast their ballots in the snap parliamentary elections.

Voters headed to polling stations to elect 577 members of the National Assembly for a five-year term.

Macron dissolved parliament and announced snap elections after the RN swept more than 31% of the vote in European Parliament elections on June 9, defeating his centrist bloc.