Paris - French voters have begun casting their ballots in a snap parliamentary election that could potentially lead to France's first far-right government since World War Two, marking a significant shift within the European Union.
President Emmanuel Macron called for the election after his centrist alliance suffered a defeat in recent European elections at the hands of Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN). Once considered a pariah, Le Pen's eurosceptic and anti-immigrant party is now positioned closer to power than ever before.
Polls opened at 0600 GMT and will close at 1600 GMT in smaller towns and cities, and at 1800 GMT in larger cities. Initial exit polls and seat projections for the crucial second round, scheduled for a week later, are expected later tonight. However, due to the electoral system's complexity, the final seat distribution in the 577-seat National Assembly won't be known until July 7.
"We are confident of winning an absolute majority," Le Pen asserted in a recent interview, envisioning her protégé, 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, as the potential prime minister. The RN proposes expansive spending measures and aims to curb immigration.
If the RN secures an absolute majority, French diplomacy may face unprecedented turbulence, with Macron, who intends to serve until 2027, and Bardella vying for leadership on the international stage.
At a polling station in Sevres, a suburb of Paris, Didier Delacroix, a 70-year-old former company director, expressed support for Macron's alliance, fearing chaos otherwise.
France has experienced three periods of "cohabitation" post-World War Two, where the president and government were from opposing political camps, but none with such stark ideological contrasts at the helm.
Bardella has indicated readiness to challenge Macron on global issues, potentially shifting France from a pillar of the EU to a more contentious member state, advocating for reduced EU contributions and challenging Brussels on key policy matters.
A decisive victory for the RN would also raise questions about France's stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Despite recent declarations supporting Ukraine, Le Pen has historically favored closer ties with Russia, though she has drawn lines on military aid.
Opinion polls suggest RN holds a comfortable lead with 33-36% of the popular vote, followed by a hastily formed left-wing coalition, the New Popular Front, and Macron's centrist alliance trailing behind.
The New Popular Front, encompassing a broad spectrum from moderate center-left to hard-left and eurosceptic parties like France Unbowed, led by Macron critic Jean-Luc Melenchon, poses a challenge to predicting seat outcomes due to the election's structure.
Vincent Martigny, a political science professor, highlighted the potential for split votes benefiting the RN, complicating predictions for seat distribution.
Traditionally, parties and voters opposed to the far right have united to prevent its ascent, but this election's dynamics may differ.
The RN under Le Pen and Bardella has attempted to moderate its image, distancing from past antisemitic associations linked to Le Pen's father, Jean-Marie Le Pen.
France faces a pivotal election with implications for its domestic politics and European relations, potentially altering its role within the EU and its global stance on key issues.