00:00Welcome back. In France, the far-right National Rally Party won the first round of the snap
00:05elections with 34.2% of the votes in the 2024 legislative polls. The right-wing political
00:11party led by Marine Le Pen managed to beat the coalition together for the Republic of
00:16the current President Emmanuel Macron, which obtained only 21.5% of the votes, placing third.
00:23Also in second place was the left-wing coalition for the New Popular Front
00:27with 29.1% of the votes. Official polls indicated that the national grouping will receive between
00:34240 and 270 of the 577 seats in the National Assembly, which would allow it to form a
00:42majority. Because of this, the national executive called for a broad democratic union to confront
00:48the extreme right in the second round on July 7th.
00:57As predicted, we're going towards the stream. People don't understand that this will impact
01:02us for years and years. This is a France of hate that is growing, not a France of
01:08solidarity and union. It touches me deeply. It's the racism growing, the homophobia, all of this.
01:15It's deplorable. And while President Emmanuel Macron urged the population to block the far
01:20right, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen called on voters to give her national rally
01:26an absolute majority in parliament.
01:31My dear compatriots, democracy has spoken. The French people have placed the national rally
01:38and its allies at the head of a virtually wipe-out democratic bloc. First of all,
01:43as a political leader, I welcome such a high turnout, which gives a particular strength to
01:49tonight's results. In an amigous vote, the French people have demonstrated their willingness to
01:55turn the page after seven years of contemptuous and corrosive power. We warmly thank the voters
02:02and welcome this result. This first step towards the election of an alternative is a sign of
02:09confidence that honors us and obliges us.
02:16For his part, the head of France's far-left, France Un Vote,
02:21party on Sunday urged voters to reject Marine Le Pen's far-right party in the
02:25second round of the election.
02:30In all circumstances, wherever and whatever the case, our instructions are simple, direct and
02:37clear. Not one more vote, not one more seat for the RN. Our advice is simple, our advice is clear,
02:46all your energy so that the new popular front can achieve the people's union, that of France
02:50itself. We have a long week ahead of us. Each person will make his or her decision in conscience
02:58and each decision will be a lasting commitment for the future of the country and the fate of each
03:02and every one of us.
03:07A large crowd gathered on Sunday at Paris' Place de la République, set off fireworks and chanted as
03:14part of a protest against the far-right National Rally Party, which gained a strong lead in
03:19projections for the first round of legislative elections. French President Emmanuel Macron
03:24called the election by surprise just three weeks ago and has now urged voters to unite against
03:31the far-right. Projections indicate that the National Rally has a strong chance of winning
03:36a majority in the lower house of Parliament for the first time, which is nearly double
03:41the 18% it won in the first round in 2022. With another intense week of campaigning ahead before
03:48the decisive final vote next Sunday, the final outcome of the elections remains uncertain.
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