The script remains in place in the European elections in France. The extreme right has won the elections in the French country with 32% of the votes, according to first estimates. All previous polls had given similar results for Marine Le Pen’s ultra National Rally party. The French elect 81 deputies of the 720 representatives of the European Chamber.
In second place is Renacimiento, the party of French President Emmanuell Macron, which in the first forecasts has managed to hold on, with 15%. For the liberals, it can be considered a success not to be surpassed by the joint list of the Socialist Party and Public Square, headed by Raphäel Glucksmann, who obtained 14%. While the leftist list Francia Insumida came in fourth position, with 8.7% of the votes. The environmentalists, who came third in the 2019 elections, have plummeted to seventh position (5.2%), surpassed by the Republicans (7.7%), the equivalent of the PP in France, and the ultra Reconquista split ( 5.5%).
The day began at 5:00 p.m. with a higher participation than in other European elections. The French Ministry of the Interior reported that turnout was 45.3%, compared to 42.3% in the 2019 elections and 35.1% in 2014.
It really won’t be a surprise if the French far-right wins the European elections. Le Pen already did it in the 2019 and 2014 elections. The big difference is that those two victories did not translate into a victory in the presidential elections for the ultra candidate. Now, however, the triumph of the nationalists is observed more cautiously by French political analysts who admit that the moderation of RN’s speech and positions could make it easier for Le Pen to arrive at the Elysee Palace.
The far-right candidate, Jordan Bardella, at only 28 years old, has managed to connect with the population with a more moderate speech, reducing Euroscepticism, but touching on issues such as the impact of inflation on citizens and appealing to the vote of punishment against Macron for its pension plan, in addition to covering more common topics in ultra discourse such as insecurity or immigration.
The evolution of France’s seats in the EU
Evolution of the number and percentage of seats of each group in the European Parliament at the beginning and end of each legislature since the 1979 European elections
% of seats
No. of seats
Source: European Parliament
Furthermore, he has had a liberal candidate in front of him, Valérie Hayer, totally unknown to the French, distorted by Macron’s own party, which sent the prime minister, Gabriel Attal, to debate with Bardella on television in an attempt to demonstrate its weaknesses and gaps. as far as public management is concerned.
To understand the strength of Le Pen’s party you only have to see that it has doubled the votes of the second formation, Macron’s party that has suffered the severe wear and tear of the management at the head of the Government. French political analysts have already warned that if the ultras manage to reach 30% of the votes it could translate into a reversal in the 2027 French presidential elections.
Glucksmann has managed to bring the socialists back into the game with an environmentalist speech and powerful social democratic messages with the aim of stealing votes from both Macron’s party and Rebellious France and the environmentalists.
