France's Overseas Territories Begin Pivotal Parliamentary Runoff Elections

Voters in France's overseas territories and expatriates began casting ballots on Saturday in parliamentary runoff elections. Marine Le Pen's National Rally led the first round, with President Macron's centrist alliance trailing. Early results are expected late Sunday, and polls suggest a possible hung parliament.

Voters in France's overseas territories and expatriates commenced casting their ballots on Saturday in crucial parliamentary runoff elections. These elections hold the potential to deliver an unprecedented victory to the nationalist far right.

Marine Le Pen's anti-immigration National Rally Party led the first-round voting last Sunday, followed by a coalition of centre-left, hard-left, and Greens parties, with President Emmanuel Macron's centrist alliance trailing in third place.

The second-round vote began in the North Atlantic territory of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and continued across French territories in the Caribbean, South Pacific, and Indian Ocean, as well as among French voters living abroad.

The elections will conclude on Sunday in mainland France. Initial results are anticipated when the final polling stations close at 8 p.m. Paris time, with official results expected late Sunday or early Monday.

Macron called for the snap legislative election after the National Rally secured the most votes in the European Parliament elections last month. The party, critical of immigration policies, hopes to achieve an absolute majority in the second round, enabling their leader, Jordan Bardella, to become prime minister and challenge Macron's policies on key issues such as Ukraine and police powers.

Pre-election polls suggest that while National Rally may win the most seats in the National Assembly, they could fall short of an absolute majority of 289 seats, potentially leading to a hung parliament. Regardless of the outcome, Macron, who has stated he will not step down, is expected to face a weakened position until his term ends in 2027.