PARIS (AFP) – Candidates in France yesterday faced a deadline to register for the run-off round of a high-stakes parliamentary election, as President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist camp and a left-wing alliance scrambled to prevent the far right from taking power.
On Sunday, French people go to polls for the decisive final round of the snap election Macron called after his camp received a drubbing in European elections last month.
His gamble appears to have backfired, with the far-right National Rally (RN) of Marine Le Pen scoring a victory in the first round of voting last Sunday.
Macron’s centrists trailed in third place behind the left-wing New Popular Front alliance.
Faced with the prospect of the far right taking power in France, Macron’s camp has begun cooperating with the New Popular Front alliance which includes the hard-left France Unbowed party.
The rivals are hoping that tactical voting will prevent the RN winning the 289 seats needed for an absolute majority.
Macron has called for a “broad” democratic coalition against the far right, with the political crisis overshadowing France’s preparations for the Olympic Games this summer.
