At least 200 candidates have quit the
French election
race to block the
far-right party
from coming to power as the step would prevent the splitting of the
anti-right votes
, reported news agency AFP.
In a surprising turn of events, Marine Le Pen's RN emerged as the clear frontrunner in the first round of Sunday's snap election, leaving
President Emmanuel Macron
's centrist camp trailing in third place behind a quickly assembled left-wing alliance.
Macron's decision to call the early election appears to have backfired.
Despite the efforts to create a "
republican front
" to prevent the anti-immigrant, eurosceptic party from gaining power, it remains uncertain whether the RN can secure the 289 seats required for a majority. Initial pollster estimates put the RN on course to win between 250-300 seats, but this was before the strategic withdrawals and cross-party appeals for voters to support the candidate most likely to defeat the local RN opponent.
"The match is not over. We must mobilise all our forces," Anne Hidalgo, the Socialist mayor of Paris, was quoted as saying by Reuters.
The RN's stance against further EU integration and its plans to reduce funding to the EU have raised concerns. Human rights organizations have expressed apprehension about how the party's "France first" and anti-migrant policies might impact ethnic minorities, while economists question the feasibility of its substantial spending plans.
Financial markets experienced gains on Monday, relieved that the far right did not perform better. However, the reaction has been tempered by the possibility of a hung parliament, which could lead to policy paralysis for the remainder of Macron's presidency until 2027.
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