Quotes
We have one objective today (and that) to deny an absolute majority to the National Rally,
said François Ruffin of the hard-left France Unbowed party that is part of the new National Front alliance along with French greens, Socialists and Communists Let's not be mistaken. It's the far right that's on its way to the highest office, no one else,
he said at the meeting, according to one participant Only a strong republican front, uniting the left, center and conservatives, can keep the far right at bay and prevent France from tipping over,
daily newspaper Le Monde said in an editorial We've known happier meetings,
one minister told Le Monde That would be catastrophic for the French,
One of the keys to Emmanuel Macron's success was to attract young people in 2017, firstly because he embodied a form of political and generational renewal,
Frédéric Michaud, Deputy Managing Director of pollster OpinionWay, told Euronews For [the hard-left] France Unbowed (LFI) and the New Popular Front (NFP), generally speaking, this is a little more classic. These are votes that more traditionally attract young people than other electoral options,
It still exists but we are seeing more and more support votes ... so it's not just a way of opposing, it's also a choice of ideological adherence to the different measures that are proposed by Jordan Bardella's party,
But he got older and, above all, there's a much younger incarnation than him now, Jordan Bardella,
Michaud said, which partly explains the RN's appeal I will work with any government in Europe and across the world if we are elected in to serve the country
The French have answered the call to vote, with the highest participation in 40 years. The response is clear — they have voted for change."
Jordan Bardella, also from the RN, told supporters We cannot agree to form a government if we cannot act. That would be the worst of betrayals of our voters,
she told France Inter radio The most likely outcome for the RN is a relative majority, not an absolute one."
Olivier Costa, a political scientist at the Centre for Political Research of Sciences Po Paris, was cited by Ouest France newspaper as saying on Sunday The match is not over,
the Socialist mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, told France 2. The turnout was the highest seen in the past two decades, although it remains lower than levels observed in the 1970s and 1980s,
The RN could win an absolute majority, but this is by no means certain."
Pierre Latrille, head of the opinion and politics department at Ipsos France, said on the public TV channel LCP on Sunday evening Without it, governing and passing their program would be very dangerous,
I don't think people realise what's happening, they are only thinking of the cost of living and short-term things like that,
said Yamina Addou outside a supermarket in the nearby town of Oignies, south of Lille I'm satisfied, because we need change,
said RN supporter Jean-Claude Gaillet, 64, in Le Pen's northern stronghold of Henin-Beaumont France is entering a new political era now and one that’s going to be very different from what came before,
said Mujtaba Rahman, managing director for Europe at the Eurasia Group, a political risk consulting firm