Centrists of President Macron maintain majority: expectations | Election News

Macron will need to secure at least 289 of the 577 seats to get a majority to pass the legislation during his second five-year term.

The centrist coalition led by French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to maintain its parliamentary majority after the first round of voting, according to expectations Sunday.

Projections based on partial results of the elections at the national level, showed that Macron’s party and its allies won about 25-26 percent of the vote. They were aligned with a new left-wing coalition made up of hard-left supporters, socialists and the Green Party.

However, Macron’s candidates are expected to win in more districts than their left-wing rivals, giving the president a majority.

Macron will need to secure at least 289 of the 577 seats to get a majority to pass the legislation during his second five-year term.

Government insiders expected a relatively poor performance in the first round of Macron’s “Ensemble” coalition, in which record numbers of voters were seen abstaining.

“I voted for hope…so not for our current president,” said Michel Gibbous, 71.

Evan Warren, who voted for Macron in the presidential election, wants to see him win a majority.

“It is important to me that we have a strong government, which allows us to represent France in the most effective way,” said the 56-year-old computer scientist.

Elections for the 577 seats in the lower house of the National Assembly are held in two rounds. More than 6,000 candidates, ages 18 to 92, are vying for seats in the National Assembly in the first round of elections. Those with the most votes will advance to the crucial second round on June 19.

After Macron’s re-election in May, his centrist coalition is seeking an absolute majority that would enable him to deliver on his election promises, which include tax cuts and raising the retirement age from 62 to 65.

“coexistence”

The main opposition is a newly created coalition of leftists, greens and communists led by the hard-left figure Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

Melenchon urged voters to give his coalition a majority and thus force Macron to name him as prime minister, which would lead to a situation called “coexistence”.

The leftists’ platform includes a significant increase in the minimum wage, a lowering of the retirement age to 60, and a shutdown of energy prices.

Although the Melenchon coalition could win more than 200 seats, current expectations give the left little chance of winning a majority. Macron and his allies are expected to win between 260 and 320 seats, according to the latest opinion polls.

The French far-right, led by Marine Le Pen, is expected to win at least 15 seats, allowing it to form a parliamentary group and gain greater powers in Parliament.

Parliamentary elections are traditionally a tough race for far-right candidates, with competitors tending to sidestep in the second round to improve another challenger’s chances.

The National Le Pen Rally hopes to do better than it did five years ago when it won eight seats.

The results may also be affected by the expected record drop in voter turnout. Opinion polls say less than half of France’s 48.7 million voters are expected to vote.