Macron's majority endangered?

Macron's majority endangered?

The election results so far show that the left-wing coalition led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon has a slight advantage in the number of votes won in the first round of parliamentary elections.

Macron's centrist alliance "Together" and Mélenchon's newly formed left-wing coalition "NUPES" are almost equal, i.e. they have between 25 and 26 percent of the votes, BBC reported last night, referring to the allegations of French television.

Half an hour after the first screenings were made, Mélenchon announced that his coalition was leading.

"The truth at the end of the first round of voting is that the presidential party was defeated," Mélenchon said. According to the latest estimates of the results of the first round of parliamentary elections published by BFM TV, Mélenchon's "NUPES" won 26.2 percent, Macron's "Together" won 25.9 percent, and the right-wing Marine Le Pen National Assembly won 18.8 percent of the vote, while Republicans won 11.4 percent.

According to TF1 television, both the left and the Macron Alliance won 25.9 percent of the vote.

Voters take part in two rounds on 12 and 19 June, electing 577 MPs, and to form a majority government the winning party needs 289 seats.

Mr. Mélenchon has formed a left-wing alliance called NUPES, bringing together his own La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) with the Socialists, Greens and Communists. Estimates from the consulting firm Elabe show that "Together" will have between 260 and 300 seats in parliament in the second round of elections on June 19, while an absolute majority requires 289 seats.

According to the Elabe projection, the left will have between 170 and 220 seats, significantly more than in 2017. The AP estimates, referring to the projections, that the centrist alliance of Macron will keep the parliamentary majority after the first round, but that it will have significantly fewer MPs than five years ago.

According to the predictions of the US agency, Macron's candidates will win in a larger number of constituencies than left-wing rivals, which will give Macron's alliance a majority. However, Reuters states that the polls show that "NUPES" could deny Macron's alliance the opportunity to achieve an absolute majority in the second round of elections, which will be held on June 19.

Turnout in yesterday's election was at a historically low level with 47 percent of voters.

More than 6.000 candidates, aged 18 to 92, fought for 577 seats in the French parliament in the first round of elections. Those who receive the most votes will be placed in the second round of elections, which will be held on June 19.

Following Macron's re-election in May, his centrist coalition is seeking an absolute majority that would allow it to deliver on its campaign promises, which include tax cuts and raising the retirement age from 62 to 65.

The leftist platform includes a significant increase in the minimum wage, lowering the retirement age to 60 and locking energy prices. The two-round voting system is complex and disproportionate to a party's national support.

MPs are elected by constituency.