French national team defender Jules Koundé called on Monday for “to block the far right and the National Rally” during the second round of legislative elections on Sunday, July 7. “It will be important to block the far right and the National Rally. This is not a party that will lead our country towards more freedom and living together.”declared the FC Barcelona player at a press conference after the qualification of the Blues for the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.
The National Rally has arrived leading the polls this Sunday during the first round with 33.15% of the votesahead of the New Popular Front and the presidential coalition. The RN has struck a major blowin electing 39 deputies, starting with Marine Le Pen in Pas-de-CalaisAllied with Eric Ciotti, the party qualified in 443 of the 577 constituencies and is leading in 296 of them.
“Disappointed to see the direction our country is taking”
“I was disappointed to see the direction our country is taking (after the first round, editor’s note) with strong support for a party that is against our values, our values of living together, of respect and which wants to divide the French. But there is a second round, nothing is decided and we still have to go and find the people who did not vote”said Jules Koundé. On the day of the first round on June 30, the player had already taken a position on the social network X: “The RN is not a solution. It’s not a lesson, it’s just my opinion”he wrote in a long message.
Since their arrival in Germany to play in Euro 2024, French players have been systematically questioned about the elections and a possible victory of the far-right party. Before Koundé, Marcus Thuram had asked “to fight so that the RN does not pass” while the captain of the Blues Kylian Mbappé and midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni had positioned themselves against “the extremes”.
