First Round of Snap Election

The first round of the snap election revealed a significant shift in the political landscape of France. Macron's coalition garnered only 20.04% of the votes, placing it third behind the hard-right National Rally (RN), which received 33.15%, and the left-wing NFP alliance at 27.99%. This outcome marked the worst electoral performance for a governing coalition in a general election since the establishment of the modern French Republic. The results indicated a growing discontent among voters, as Macron's coalition faced a substantial decline in support compared to previous elections. Exit polls suggested that the RN-led alliance was likely to secure either a plurality of seats or an outright majority in the subsequent round, while Macron's coalition was projected to lose at least half of the seats it had won in the previous election cycle. This electoral shift underscored the increasing polarization within French politics, with voters gravitating towards more extreme positions.