First round of legislative elections in France | The solitary triumph

During the first round of historic legislative elections, more French voters than ever supported the far right. Behind this electoral success is the rising star of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella. In Paris, our journalist attended his victory speech, delivered in silence.

(Paris) But where were the supporters of the National Rally on Sunday evening when their party came out on top in the first round of legislative elections that could change the face of French politics?

One thing is certain, they were not at the Pavillon Wagram, a stone’s throw from the Arc de Triomphe, where Jordan Bardella, the young president of the far-right political organization, had invited the media. Just the media.

And it was in droves that journalists from all four corners of the world came to see the political star of the moment, the 28-year-old Frenchman who joined the ranks of the far-right party at the age of 17 and who has since risen through the ranks, under the protection of Marine Le Pen.

Jordan Bardella has been in the spotlight of the entire planet since the RN electoral list, bearing his name, made a historic breakthrough during the European elections on June 9, prompting Emmanuel Macron to dissolve the National Assembly and trigger protests. snap elections to “clarify” the political situation in the country. After Sunday’s vote, it is now clear that the European result was not an anomaly.

Unpublished results

The French went out to vote in record numbers: no less than 65% of those registered went to the polls, much more than in 2022 (47.5%).

Voters gave almost 33% of their votes to the National Rally, which came ahead of the new left-wing coalition with 28.5% of the vote and far ahead of the centrist camp of Emmanuel Macron – the big loser – who had to make do with 22%.

At the time of writing these lines, 37 RN candidates had managed to pass the 50% mark in their constituency to be elected in the first round, allowing them to be elected without doubt. Unheard of for a party which had 89 seats in the outgoing Parliament and which now hopes to control the majority after the second round, which is scheduled for July 7.

The races which were not decided on Sunday will then pit the two candidates having obtained the best scores and, if applicable, all those having collected at least 12.5% ​​of the registered votes. A record number of three-way races are expected, which are de facto more unpredictable.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal called on voters to “prevent the National Rally from having an absolute majority.” “The far right is on the verge of power,” he said, adding that “not a single vote will [devait] go to the National Rally”.

President Emmanuel Macron echoed his prime minister’s words in a written statement: “Faced with the National Rally, the time has come for a broad, clearly democratic and republican gathering for the second round.”

According to him, this gathering should exclude the candidates of La France insoumise (LFI). However, certain Macronist voices have risen to “block the far right” including, if necessary, by voting for an LFI candidate.

On the left, the call for a roadblock against the RN is a consensus, so much so that the leader of LFI, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, announced the withdrawal of his candidates who came third when the RN is in the lead

The conservative right party Les Républicains (LR), which obtained around 10% of the vote, refused to call on its voters to vote against the RN next Sunday.

Lonely man

Jordan Bardella’s speech, who is allowed to aspire to the post of prime minister, was eagerly awaited on Sunday evening. A heavy security presence was deployed around the venue of the speech, located in the middle of one of the most affluent districts of Paris.

At 8:31 p.m., less than a minute behind schedule, Jordan Bardella emerged from the wings of the Pavillon Wagram to take the stage. Wearing a blue suit that matched the French flag that was his only stage companion, the young leader delivered a five-minute speech and left as quickly as he had arrived.

Without answering a single question. Without shaking hands. Without making eye contact with the dozens of journalists who were crowded in front of him.

And since he was surrounded by reporters, he left without receiving any applause. The television crews instead rushed to make their interventions live.

All of this contrasted with the purpose of his speech, in which Jordan Bardella presented himself as a local leader. “Next Sunday, if the voters give us an absolute majority to straighten out the country, I intend to be the prime minister of all French people, listening to each and every one,” he said.

Her mentor, Marine Le Pen, spent the evening in her constituency in Hénin-Beaumont, with her admirers.

Easily elected in the first round, she invited voters to grant “an absolute majority” to her party. She declared that the RN could thus work towards the “revival” of France.

Tears and call for mobilization

On the left, it was time for rallies. Leader of the radical left movement, La France insoumise, Jean-Luc Mélenchon gave a speech surrounded by politicians and activists from his organization, before going to meet thousands of people gathered on the Place de la République.

The ex-Trotskyist at the same time invited voters to massively support the New Popular Front (NFP) – the broad left-wing coalition which includes the rebels, socialists, communists and ecologists – in the second round. Having managed to overcome deep differences, the left slightly improved its 2022 score, but does not seem able to significantly increase its troops, according to initial projections.

On the Place de la République, under the emblematic statue, the emotion was palpable after the unprecedented score of the radical right. “I’m 26 years old and there’s no way I’m living in a country governed by the extreme right,” Rachel Gemimi, met at the foot of the statue, said through tears.

“We cannot live in a country of fear and hatred, where we vomit on social achievements,” she continued, before wiping away the mascara that was running down her cheeks.

Behind her, militant chants began to ring out. “Paris, rise up!” “We are here, we don’t want you, Bardella,” chanted activists, carrying anti-fascist flags, communist banners and handmade banners. They see Jordan Bardella as an existential danger. Just as he sees the “extreme left” as the main danger facing France.

The coming week will be an unprecedented confrontation in France between two parallel political universes. Between two worldviews.

With Agence France-Presse and the Associated Press