Voters head to the polls in first round of voting

French voters are heading to the polls on Sunday for the first round of voting in a snap parliamentary election that could see the far-right National Rally group become the biggest party in France’s National Assembly, polls suggest.

France’s President Emmanuel Macron shocked the electorate and political pundits in early June when he called the ballot after his Renaissance party suffered a drubbing in European Parliament elections at the hands of National Rally, led by Jordan Bardella and veteran right-wing politician Marine Le Pen.

Calling the snap election, which will involve two rounds of polling on Sunday and on July 7, Macron said the vote would provide “clarification” and that “France needs a clear majority to act in serenity and harmony.”

Analysts said Macron’s shock move was likely based on the gamble that, even if National Rally performs well, a potentially chaotic and disordered period in power will reduce the likelihood that his rival Le Pen will assume French leadership in 2027.

Close watchers of French politics also note that Macron is ultimately betting on French citizens fearing a far-right government and voting against the nationalist and anti-immigration party.

But voter polls in June have consistently put National Rally ahead in the race, predicting the party will take around 35% of the vote, ahead of the leftist New Popular Front bloc with around 25-26% of the ballot and Macron’s centrist Together alliance, in third place with around 19% of the vote.

Even if a hung parliament is the most likely outcome of the vote — with no single party looking as if it can achieve an absolute majority of 289 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly — a strong showing for National Rally will put pressure on Macron to appoint a prime minister from the party.

That new PM — who in this scenario would likely be the 28-year-old National Rally President Jordan Bardella — would then have a significant say over France’s domestic and economic policy, while President Macron would remain in charge of foreign policy and defense.