Media reports hundreds of applicants pull out from French runoff
(MENAFN) In a strategic move ahead of the French parliamentary runoff, approximately 200 candidates from President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance Party and a left-wing coalition have withdrawn from contention, as reported by AFP. The withdrawals are aimed at thwarting the potential consolidation of power by the right-wing National Rally (RN) party and its allies, who made significant gains in the recent electoral contests.
France's National Assembly, comprising 577 seats, employs a two-round voting system where candidates compete in single-seat constituencies. The first round, held recently following Macron's call for early elections, saw a strong showing by the RN, led by Jordan Bardella after Marine Le Pen's tenure. Securing over 33 percent of the vote, the RN garnered 37 seats, posing a challenge to Macron's Renaissance Party, which secured only two seats. The left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) coalition emerged as the second-largest bloc with 28percent of the vote and 32 seats.
In French electoral rules, a candidate must secure more than half of the vote in the first round to win outright; otherwise, a runoff ensues. With no outright winners in many constituencies, candidates who achieved at least 12.5 percent of the vote advanced to the second round, scheduled for this Sunday, July 7.
According to AFP's analysis, the tactical withdrawals by Macron's party and the NFP are intended to consolidate support and prevent the RN and its coalition partners from achieving an absolute majority of 289 seats in the parliament. This strategic maneuver reflects heightened political maneuvering as France braces for a pivotal second round that will determine the composition and balance of power in the National Assembly moving forward.
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