Leftists bereft after Le Pen's National Rally once again trounces Macron's establishment party
Early last month, establishmentarians were utterly humiliated in the European parliamentary elections where right-leaning parties enjoyed significant gains. One of the most telling showings was in France, where Marine Le Pen's National Rally ran circles around French President Emmanuel Macron's pro-European Renaissance Party, more than doubling its votes.
The continental trouncing was so embarrassing as to prompt Macron, who already lacked a majority in the French parliament, to call snap national elections on June 30 and July 7.
Macron tweeted, "I have confidence in the ability of the French people to make the fairest choice for themselves and for future generations."
On Sunday, the supermajority of eligible French voters cast ballots, fairly choosing to rid the country of Macron and his ilk.
Le Pen's National Rally and its allies reportedly secured 33.1% of the vote Sunday. Macron's centrist coalition couldn't even place second, instead coming third with 20.8% after the New Popular Front, a leftist coalition, which secured 28% of the vote.
'Democracy has spoken.'
CNN indicated that National Rally is poised to secure the most seats in the National Assembly but may prove unable to net the 289 seats necessary for an absolute majority, meaning the country may end up with a hung parliament. Le Pen's party and its allies are currently expected to pick between 230 and 280 seats.
However, should the right-leaning party prevail in the second round of voting on Sunday, National Rally President Jordan Bardella, Le Pen's protégé, will likely become the next prime minister. With Bardella running parliament, Macron would effectively be a lame duck until the end of his term, which runs out in 2027.
Bardella indicated Monday that the country has before it the decision between national unity, the well-being of the republic, and the furtherance of its values, or rule by an "alliance of the worst and the extreme left."
Le Pen told a crowd Sunday, "Democracy has spoken, and the French people have placed the National Rally and its allies in first place — and has practically erased the Macronist bloc."
Le Pen and Bardella both stressed that the next round of voting is critically important for the fate and future of the country.
Liberals further afield bemoaned the result. Donald Tusk, Poland's prime minister, for instance, said, "This is all really starting to smell dangerous."
Tusk added on X, "They love Putin, money and power without control. And they are already in power or are reaching for it in the East or West of Europe. They are joining ranks in the European Parliament."
Spain's socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez similarly whined about the success of French rightists, noting, "The advance of the far right in France isn't unconnected with what's happening in other parts of the world — including in Spain — where we're seeing how, directly or indirectly," reported Al Jazeera.
"The far right is advancing institutionally and in the opinion polls," added Sanchez.
The mainstream media leaned into the tired and ineffective suggestion that France's right-leaning populists were Nazis reborn.
France24 concern-mongered that the elections "could put France's government in the hands of a far-right party for the first time since World War II," discounting the Nazis' leftist nature.
The liberal publication beat this dead horse repeatedly, reiterating, "Victory for RN would lead to France's first far-right government since the Nazi-allied Vichy Regime."
NBC News similarly amplified the preferred narrative, noting, "Voters across France are casting ballots in the first round of an exceptional parliamentary election that could put France’s government in the hands of nationalist, far-right parties for the first time since the Nazi era."
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggested that the establishment's smear campaign against right-leaning politicians in Europe had once again proven toothless.
"The constant attempt to demonize and corner people who don't vote for the left ... is a trick that fewer and fewer people fall far," said Meloni.
While the media fruitlessly vilified the people's top choice of party, Macron planted the seed of violence, suggesting that electoral success on the part of National Rally could push "people towards a civil war."
Sure enough, after it became clear the party critical of unchecked immigration, a detached political elite, and ruinous economic policies was set to win, radicals — including Pro-Hamas demonstrators and Antifa thugs — began rioting. The Daily Mail reported that riot police were dispatched across Paris, where rioters launched incendiary devices, looted, and smashed up various establishments.
After a night of their comrades clashing with police, far-left politicians began urging Macron's supporters to support them to prevent National Rally from securing power.
Clémentine Autain, a member of the New Popular Front, said in an X post Monday, "The far right is at the gates of power. We must do everything to prevent them from winning and to open up hope with the New Popular Front."
The Telegraph indicated that Gabriel Attal, Macron's prime minister, has advised his party's supporters to support the radical left if the alternative was Le Pen's National Rally, stressing they had a moral duty to "prevent RN from winning an absolute majority."
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