France is at a political crossroads as voters, including prominent figures like Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and far-right leader Jordan Bardella, head to the polls to elect new members of parliament. Left-wing MP Manuel Bompard and former presidential candidate Eric Zemmour also cast their votes in Marseille and Paris, respectively. Former President Francois Hollande voted in western France’s Tulle.
The turnout was around 25.9% at noon, with over 2.6 million proxy votes registered – four times more than in the previous elections. Over 49 million registered voters will elect 577 members of the National Assembly for a five-year term, with polling stations open for 12 hours.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for snap elections after the far-right party RN’s victory in the European Parliament elections. The national parliamentary elections will be held in two rounds, with the second round scheduled for July 7.