Many people came through the doors of the Centre Mont-Royal in Montreal this Saturday morning to cast their ballots for the first round of the French legislative elections.
Posted at 11:13 a.m.
French expats are being urged to have their say after French President Emmanuel Macron called snap elections earlier this month ahead of the European elections.
Read Laura-Julie Perreault’s column
His party suffered a crushing defeat by the far right in the European Parliament vote. The first round on Saturday could see the country’s first far-right government since the Nazi occupation of World War II.
The far-right National Rally is leading the polls, followed by the New Popular Front coalition, which includes the centre-left, the Greens and the far-left forces, and the centrist alliance of President Emmanuel Macron.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
The outcome of the vote, after the second round on July 7 and an exceptionally brief election campaign, remains highly uncertain as three major political blocs face off: the far-right National Rally, President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance, and the New Popular Front coalition, which includes the center-left, the Greens and the far-left forces.
“In the last legislative elections in 2022, we had a turnout of around 25%. This time, we prepared for more… we are ready to welcome a turnout of around 50%,” she said. “There is a very strong mobilization of the French community who were really ready to help us organize the vote.”
Quebec has 260,000 French citizens, including 200,000 in Montreal.
With information from The Canadian Press
