According to Ryanovsti news agency, preliminary results of the first round of the French parliamentary elections showed that Le Pen’s party has secured over 34 percent of the votes.
In the first round, there were three major political blocs in the race, which included Le Pen and Jordan Bardela’s far-right National Rally party, Jean-Luc Melenchon’s left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) and President Emmanuel Macron’s Ensemble alliance.
According to the preliminary results announced by the Ministry of the Interior, the RN bloc leads with 34% of the vote, while NFP coalition is in second with 28.1% and Ensemble alliance slumped to a dismal third with 20.3%.
While the RN appears on track to win the most seats in the National Assembly, it may fall short of the 289 seats required for an outright majority, meaning France may be heading for a hung parliament and more political uncertainty.
“Democracy has spoken, and the French people have placed the National Rally and its allies in first place – and has practically erased the Macronist bloc,” Le Pen told a jubilant crowd, adding “Nothing has been won – and the second round will be decisive.”
Last month's European Parliament elections not only forced the French president to call for early parliamentary elections, but also provided clues about how the extreme right can quickly reach the position of a formidable competitor and the main concerns of French voters.
Le Pen remains Islamophobic and anti-immigrant but has struggled to change the perception of her party as a nationalist and Eurosceptic, and is now trying to present it as a defender of family income, jobs and identity in France.
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