Shafaq News/ France’s far-right Rassemblement National made significant gains in the initial round of snap legislative elections held on Sunday, June 30, accompanied by a notable rise in voter turnout.

According to initial estimates by Ipsos, the RN bloc won with 34% of the vote, while left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) coalition came second with 28.1% and Macron’s Ensemble alliance came third with 20.3%.

Led by Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, RN aims to gain power for the first time.

Le Monde said that President Emmanuel Macron, responding to the early estimates, urged voters to unite against the far-right surge in the second round. “Faced with the Rassemblement National, it is time for a large, clearly democratic and republican rally for the second round,” he emphasized in a statement to Agence France-Presse. Macron acknowledged the increased turnout as a sign of French voters’ desire “to clarify the political situation.”.

The traditional concept of the “republican front,” where parties unite to support candidates best positioned to defeat the far right, had waned in recent years. Marine Le Pen, in response, called for voters to deliver an “absolute majority” to her party in the Assemblée Nationale next Sunday. “We need an absolute majority for Jordan Bardella to be named prime minister by Emmanuel Macron in eight days,” she asserted, emphasizing the RN’s agenda for national “recovery” and averting governance by a left-wing leaning “toward violence.”

Jean-Luc Mélenchon of La France Insoumise urged third-place left-wing candidates to withdraw in favor of those best poised to challenge the RN. “Not one vote, not one seat more for the RN,” he declared, echoing calls from other left-wing leaders.

Les Républicains (LR), a right-wing party, refrained from issuing directives to its voters for the second round. Criticizing both the far left and the Rassemblement National, LR cautioned against policies leading to national turmoil and advocated for maintaining French institutions and civilization.