France's Far-Right National Rally Makes Big Gains Against Macron In First Round Of Legislative Polls, Seeks Majority

<p><strong>France Elections:</strong> France&rsquo;s far right is in a strong position after the first round of the country&rsquo;s legislative elections. The lead, however, is not decisive but has certainly opened the gates of power for Marine Le Pen&rsquo;s party.</p> <p>The supporters of the National Rally (RN) cheered her as she took a swipe at French President Emmanuel Macron, who said the president&rsquo;s &ldquo;Macronist bloc has been all but wiped out.&rdquo;</p> <p>According to the BBC, RN was on course to win 33.2% of the vote, with a left-wing alliance behind at 28.1% and the Macron alliance behind at 21%.</p> <p>&ldquo;I aim to be prime minister for all the French people if the French give us their votes,&rdquo; said 28-year-old RN party leader Jordan Bardella, as quoted by the BBC.</p> <p>According to the projections, the French President&rsquo;s decision to call voters back to the polls for the second time in three weeks appeared to have backfired.</p> <p>Speaking after the first round of elections, veteran commentator Alain Duhamel said that never before has the far right won the first round of a French parliamentary election. The simple fact that it has become possible is historic.</p> <p>Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella want an absolute majority of 289 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly. However, seat projections for next Sunday&rsquo;s second-round run-off votes project that they may fall short, the BBC reported.&nbsp;</p> <p>Without an absolute majority, France will have a hung parliament, and the RN will be unable to push through its plans for immigration, tax cuts, and law and order.</p> <p>According to the polling agencies in France, Macron&rsquo;s grouping of centrist parties could end up at a distant third in the first-round ballot, as reported by France 24. Those projections put his camp behind both the National Rally and a new left-wing coalition of parties.&nbsp;</p> <p>With another week of campaigning to go before the final vote next Sunday, the ultimate outcome of the polls remained uncertain.</p>

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