French Candidates Drop Out En Masse to Stop Far-Right Takeover

More than 200 centrist and left-wing candidates have withdrawn from the second round of France’s snap parliamentary elections. French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party En Marche took disastrous losses to Marie Le Pen’s far-right National Rally in the first round of voting on Sunday, prompting Macron and the left to form a tenuous alliance, according to France 24 . The centrist and left-wing parties have agreed to drop their candidates in districts where either’s candidates may split the vote in favor of the far-right, according to France 24. The move means that 127 third place left-wing candidates and 75 third place centrist candidates will drop out for the second round, which will be held on July 7. There are 577 seats up for grabs, and in the first round of voting, which was held on Sunday, the far-right had taken 289 seats with the left, center and other smaller parties taking the rest. If Le Pen’s party takes power on July 7, it would be the first time the far-right has controlled the country since Vichy France. Her party has promised to “Stop the flood of immigrants” and strictly limit who is eligible for citizenship, according to its website .

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