France: Tense ambiance forward of the second spherical of elections – 2024-07-07 07:02:17

France is counting down for the second spherical of essentially the most vital parliamentary elections in its latest historical past.

Residents will rush to the polls subsequent Sunday (7/7) amid issues over the rising reputation of the far-right.

Within the first spherical, Marine Le Pen’s far-right Nationwide Alert (RN) get together and its allies acquired 33% of the vote, whereas the left-wing New Individuals’s Entrance (NFP) got here second with 28%. President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Mazi coalition acquired 20% of the vote.

On the identical time, below the concern of riots after the ultimate outcomes, 30,000 law enforcement officials will likely be on foot all through the nation.

French Inside Minister Gérald Darmanin mentioned 5,000 law enforcement officials could be on alert in Paris and surrounding areas to “make sure that the unconventional proper and radical left don’t benefit from the state of affairs to trigger chaos”.

4 arrested for attacking the federal government consultant

4 folks, together with one below 18, had been arrested after authorities spokeswoman Prisca Teveno mentioned she and her crew had been attacked on Wednesday night time (3/7) whereas placing up election marketing campaign posters in Mendon, outdoors from Paris.

The deputy authorities spokesman and one other colleague had been injured after they requested about 10 youths to cease tampering with election marketing campaign posters they usually attacked them. “We advised them, with out being aggressive, that tampering with posters isn’t allowed,” Thevenot advised Le Parisien. In response to her, the police arrived nearly 5 minutes after the assault.

“Violence isn’t the reply. I’ll proceed my marketing campaign,” Teveno wrote to X.

A Nationwide Alert candidate in Savoie, Marie Dossy, additionally mentioned she was assaulted by a shopkeeper in a market on Wednesday.

So does Nicholas Konker. The Republican candidate mentioned he was attacked whereas handing out marketing campaign leaflets within the metropolis of Cherbourg on Tuesday.

“Allow us to reject the prevailing local weather of violence and hatred,” Prime Minister Gabriel Attal wrote in X, including that violence and intimidation have “no place in our democracy.”

This night, a candidate, Prisca Thevenot, and members of her marketing campaign crew had been attacked by 4 people in Meudon whereas they had been placing up election posters.

Violence and intimidation haven’t any place in our democracy.

They do not have their…

— Gabriel Attal (@GabrielAttal) July 3, 2024

Will RN safe an absolute majority?

It’s famous that with a purpose to safe an absolute majority, the RN wants 289 seats. Beforehand, polls, primarily based on the primary spherical knowledge, gave the far-right get together 250-300 seats.

Nevertheless, the newest ballot by Harris Interactive, carried out on behalf of Challenges, M6 TV and RTL, says the RN and its allies will garner 190-220 seats. The New Individuals’s Entrance seems to be in second place with 159-183 seats, whereas Macron’s “Collectively” is in third place with 110-135 seats.

Le Pen mentioned she may attempt to kind a right-wing coalition with MPs from different events if the RN doesn’t safe an outright majority.

He mentioned he would search to kind a authorities with “for instance, 270 MPs”, which means he wants to search out help from one other 19 to take workplace. “If then we’ve a majority, then sure, in fact, we’ll go and do what the voters elected us to do,” he careworn.