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Large groups of voters in France went to the polls for the first round of legislative elections that President Emmanuel Macron had unexpectedly called this month, the New York Times reported Sunday.
Macron’s move is seen as a political gamble that may usher in France’s first far-right government since Nazis occupied the country in World War II.
By 5 p.m. local time, the participation rate was 59.39 percent, according to the country’s Ministry of the Interior. In the 2022 elections, the participation number was only 39.42 percent.
Voters are choosing 577 representatives in France’s National Assembly, the country’s lower and more prominent house of Parliament. If lawmakers opposed Macron win a majority, he would be forced to name a political opponent as prime minister, likely upending France’s domestic policy and complicating foreign policy.
Three powerhouse political blocs are in the running, including the far-right National Rally, President Macron’s centrist alliance and the New Popular Front coalition that includes center-left, greens and hard-left forces.
The second round of voting is on July 7.