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The Prime Minister warns of the coming to power of the extreme right

2024-07-03 21:41:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The Prime Minister warns of the coming to power of the extreme right

France's Prime Minister Gabriel Attal shakes hands with a female supporter during a campaign rally in Chatres, France, July 2, 2024, ahead of the second round of parliamentary elections/AFP

The far-right National Union party is the only party that can win an overwhelming majority in France's parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said Wednesday, calling on French voters to block the party's rise to power.

Four days before the second round of elections, Prime Minister Attal said that many French voters will have to go against their will, voting for parties they do not support in order to come to power.

The National Union dominated elections in the first round, giving hope to Marine Le Pen's party to form a new government and its 28-year-old candidate, Jordan Bardella, to become prime minister in a tense "coexistence" with President Emmanuel Macron.

But more than 200 candidates from left and center parties this week withdrew from the election race in the second round, sacrificing their hopes of being elected in order to prevent the National Union candidates from winning.

France/ Agreement against the right?
July 2, 08:44

"Only one bloc can win an overwhelming majority in parliament and that is the far-right bloc," Mr Attal told France Inter radio.

"On Sunday evening, during the second round, we must do our best to prevent the extreme right from winning an overwhelming majority," he added.

"It's not a good feeling that some French people will have to block (the right) ... giving a vote they didn't want to give," he said.

"I say that it is our responsibility to do such a thing," he added.

To form the government without the help of coalitions, parties need to win 289 seats in the 577-member parliament. Ms Le Pen says the National Union will try to secure more than 270 seats in parliament, luring other members of parliament to join her.

"At the end of the second round, power will either be in the hands of an extreme right-wing party, or in parliament. I am fighting for the second scenario," declared Mr. Attal.

France holds early elections/ The extreme right hopes to make history
June 30, 09:39

One possibility, which is receiving increased media attention in recent days, is the alternative that instead of a far-right government, France will be governed by a broad coalition of the centrist parties of President Macron, the traditional right, the socialists and the green party.

But Mr. Attal did not commit to this form: "I am not talking about a coalition. I do not want to impose on the French a coalition that they have not chosen."

Former prime minister Edouard Phillipe, who remains an influential voice in the pro-Macron camp, told French television TF1 on Sunday that he will vote for the communist candidate to stop the far-right.

He said that after the elections he would support a new parliamentary majority that could include the " conservative right and social democrats ", but would not include the far-left party Inflexible France, known by its acronym LFI./ VOA