Raphaël Arnault, the LFI candidate listed as S, qualified for the second round

The controversial candidate designated by La France Insoumise on behalf of the New Popular Front, listed as S, in the Avignon constituency, Raphaël Arnault, has qualified for the second round, and the dissident supported by the local left, third and eliminated, has called for a vote for him.

According to the official results of the first round of the legislative elections, the outgoing far-right member of the National Rally Catherine Jaouen comes first with 34.62%, followed by Raphaël Arnault with 24.76%. Philippe Pascal, the candidate supported by the rest of the left, who judged Arnault “too extremist“, came third with 18.27%.

An activist in the anti-fascist Young Guard, a movement adopting a muscular and contested strategy against the far right, Raphaël Arnault, who comes from the Lyon region, is listed as “S” in the police register listing individuals potentially dangerous to national security. He was not immediately available for comment.

“Beat the RN”

«I’m disappointed because if I had qualified I would have been best able to rally and win because I’m a moderate“, Philippe Pascal, a former labor inspector and very involved in local and humanitarian associations, told AFP.But I call for a vote for Mr. Arnault, my only goal is to beat the RN“, he added.

In the first constituency of Vaucluse, which notably covers Avignon – a town known for its theater festival -, but also two small towns held by the RN, Le Pontet and Morières-les-Avignon, Jordan Bardella’s party won in 2022.

But after good scores in the Europeans, the left hopes to be able to turn it around. The result will depend in particular on the instructions of the candidate from the Macronist camp Malika di Fraja, who collected 16.13% of the votes, followed in fifth position by LR with 3.24%.

A week ago, those responsible for the Avignon festival launched a call to block the national gathering.