Reactions to the French election

Unclear guidelines divide – who will withdraw?

The complex electoral system that applies to the parliamentary elections in France and the record high turnout have led to more than two candidates being allowed to run in the second round in many districts.

Some political leaders have therefore called on their third-placed candidates to withdraw from the election. This is to reduce the number of election options and reduce the chances for National Assembly candidates to be elected.

But the guidelines differ from party to party, writes the political TV channel Public-Sénat. While some parties early called on their candidates to withdraw, the guidelines of the president's caucus are still unclear.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has encouraged several parties to withdraw their candidates, but appears to have excluded the far-left party La France Insoumise (Indomitable France), which was frequently criticized by the president's party during the election campaign.

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Analysis: The wave of national gatherings has reached the whole country

The first round of the parliamentary elections in France provides some lessons about the country's political landscape, writes Le Monde in an analysis. The president's group is weaker than ever, and National Gathering's support has now spread to all levels of society in the country.

Although the National Assembly's original voter base was mainly in the south of France and in regions where industries have been dismantled, the far-right party has now reached almost all parts of the country except the largest cities, the French newspaper writes.

According to the Financial Times, many French people have voted against President Emmanuel Macron - who they see as elitist and out of touch with reality. This is to the advantage of the National Assembly, which has raised issues such as living costs and wages in addition to its traditional stance against immigration.

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Expert: EU cooperation suffers from weakened Macron

If the second round of elections gives the National Assembly a majority in parliament, France will be – at least partially – governed by anti-immigration politicians who have expressed sympathies with Vladimir Putin, want to strip the EU of power and have raised the issue of leaving NATO. That's what Politico writes.

- We can say with certainty that the detoxification of the National Collection has reached its final stage. They have become mainstream, says Bruno Cautrès, a political analyst at the Sciences Po institutes.

Political scientist Göran von Sydow believes that Sunday's election results will have consequences for European cooperation, regardless of how the second round of the election goes.

- In any event, Macron is weakened, and he is responsible for foreign policy, he tells SVT Nyheter.