It's time for the second round in the French parliamentary election. Much suggests that no side will get a majority and that the election evening will be a nail-biter.
A national drama and a bluff, says Frenchwoman Martine about the election.
The statue in the middle of the Place de la République square in central Paris is covered in graffiti and stickers with political slogans. The majority of the messages are critical of both President Emmanuel Macron and the far-right party National Rally (RN).
The location, named to honor the values of the republic, is home to many demonstrations and protests in Paris.
At the foot of the statue, Martine and Phillippe are sitting, smoking and talking about the upcoming second round of the parliamentary election. They are not impressed with the political turmoil that France is in.
"National drama"
It's a national drama and a bluff, says Martine, who doesn't want to be in the picture, to TT.
You vote for someone, they talk behind each other's backs and decide what they want anyway, continues Phillippe.
He didn't vote in the first round and won't do so in the second either. Martine, on the other hand, voted for National Rally (RN) in the first round. In her constituency, it was clear already last Sunday that candidate Emmanuel Gregoire from the Socialist Party won. There will be no second round there.
My constituency has always been left-wing, that's what we're used to. That's not the problem. The problem is that they don't care what we say. They find ways to exclude each other. Tell us not to vote for this or that person.
I'll probably never vote again, says Martine.
Difficult parliamentary situation
According to an opinion poll published by the French public service company Franceinfo on Friday, neither RN nor the left-wing alliance New People's Front (NFP) will get a majority – which complicates the parliamentary situation in France even further.
RN's party leader Jordan Bardella has said on several occasions that he does not want to become prime minister unless RN gets a majority. And if there is no government in place, no decisions can be made in the National Assembly.
"Necessary evil"
A bit further away on Place de la République, Guillaume Mozian is sitting, not wanting to say who he's voting for.
No, it's too private. But the first round was a pretty nice surprise after all, he says.
The new election was necessary. A necessary evil.
After the far-right party National Rally's big success in the EU election on June 9, France's President Emmanuel Macron decided to dissolve parliament and call new elections.
The parliament, the National Assembly, consists of 577 seats. 76 of them were decided in the first round.
After the first round, RN and its allies became the largest with 34 percent of the votes. The left-wing alliance New People's Front (NFP), created in connection with President Emmanuel Macron's call for new elections, is close behind with 28 percent.
On Sunday's second round, the remaining 501 seats will be elected.
Preliminary results are expected at 8 pm on Sunday, July 7.
