Historic elections in France: voters go to the polls today for the first round of snap parliamentary elections that raise great uncertainty as they could mean the far-right will be in power in a week’s time.

The French athey started coming to the polling stations at 08:00 (local time; 09:00 Greek time) and voting will end at 18:00 and in major cities at 20:00 (19:00 and 20:00 respectively), while almost simultaneously the first results are expected to be announced results of the process that cannot be ruled out to overturn the French political landscape.

With its 28-year-old president Jordan Bardela in the front line, the far-right party National Alert (RN) is credited, according to opinion polls, with 34% to 37% of vote intentions and it is possible that something unprecedented in the country will happen: to secure a relative or even an absolute majority of seats in the French National Assembly on July 7, the night of the second round.

According to opinion polls, which are viewed rather cautiously as uncertainty is seen as high, the RN is ahead of the French left-wing alliance, the New Popular Front (NFP), which is said to be attracting between 27.5 and 29% of voting intentions. , and the presidential centre-right camp, which follows with 20 to 21%.

If Jordan Bardela becomes prime minister, it will be the first time since World War II that a far-right government has taken power in France.

President Emmanuel Macron caused a political earthquake on June 9. After his party’s defeat in the European elections, he caused consternation by announcing the dissolution of the French National Assembly, placing a high risk bet.

Despite their great differences, factions of the French Left were able to form an alliance in the days that followed.

However, the discrepancies between Indomitable France (LFI) and its partners (socialists, environmentalists, communists), especially on the controversial figure of the former presidential candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchonvery quickly came back to the foam, turned into a pest of the alliance campaign.

In the meantime, nothing seems capable of stopping his advance RNwho bases his own campaign on falling purchasing power and anti-immigration rhetoric. Not the vagueness about the repeal of Mr. Macron’s pension reform, not the polemics about those with dual citizenship, not the toxic statements of far-right candidates.

Will the polling firms’ predictions be confirmed or denied after the three-week blitzkrieg election campaign?

The country is in a feverish state and it is expected high participation. It is estimated that it will rise to about 67% of the approximately 49 people registered in the electoral rolls, a percentage much higher than the 47.5% of the parliamentary elections of 2022.

As of yesterday, the French in the outlying regions or in the American continent began to go to the polls, with participation greatly increased and, often, a feeling of great gravity.

“The stakes” are “fundamental” in these elections that “everything can be overturned,” said Malika B., 21, who spoke to AFP in Guadeloupe, in the Antilles.

“Each country’s choices affect the others, even more so in this election. I think it’s very important to vote and be active citizens,” commented Antoine Rica, 34, who participated in the election in Montreal, Canada.

THE reading the results of the first round however, it may prove to be a difficult task, as the unknown variables in the equation are many.

Starting with the triangles that will occur in the evening (that is, the qualification of three candidates in view of the second round), which are expected to increase significantly.

And above all the number of departures between the two rounds, as the practice of the “democratic front” to block the path of the extreme right has weakened over the years.

The greatest pressure is faced by the Macronists, as Emmanuel Macron was elected president both times (2017, 2022) presenting the dam argument to the far right.

On Thursday he promised “maximum clarity” in dealing with the result, but appeared to be leaning more towards a “neither RN nor LFI” stance, drawing heavy criticism from the French left and criticism even from within his own faction.

Tomorrow Monday at noon, he will meet with outgoing Prime Minister Gabriel Atal and members of his government at the Elysee, the presidential palace; on the menu, possible resignations and strategy against the RN.

These parliamentary elections are held after two years of government with only a relative majority in the National Assembly and the Macronists forced to seek occasional alliances, bill by bill, when they do not resort to an article of the Constitution that allowed them to pass budgets without votes in the French national delegation and the pension reform, which caused a storm of reactions.

The sweeping dominance of the RN in the European elections – it received 31.4% of the votes, against 14.6% of the Macronists – hastened the developments and the choices of the head of state, exposing him to the possibility of “cohabitation” with Mr. Bardela.

France has known in its recent history three periods of so-called cohabitation of president and government belonging to different political camps, during the presidencies of François Mitterrand (1986-1988 and 1993-1995), then Jacques Chirac (1997-2002).