French Parties Consider Candidate Withdrawal to Block Far-Right National Rally After 33% Win

Jul 1, 2024, 06:12 AM

French centrist and left-wing parties, including the far-left, are considering pulling their candidates out of run-offs in hundreds of electoral districts to prevent the far-right National Rally from gaining power. The National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, secured 33% of the popular vote in the first round of France’s snap two-round general election. Jean-Luc Melenchon, the chief of the left-wing party, stated that they will not allow the National Rally to win anywhere. French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance and the left-wing New Popular Front are weighing their options to keep the ascendant far-right party out of power. It remains uncertain if Macron’s party will fully cooperate in this effort.