PARIS (dpa-AFX) – In France, the parliamentary elections will start on Sunday in the first round. Shortly after President Emmanuel Macron was re-elected for a second term, the French are electing a new parliament. From 8 a.m. the approximately 48.7 million registered voters can cast their votes. The 577 seats in the National Assembly are voted on. For the center politician Macron, it is about securing a parliamentary majority again. Otherwise he would be forced to appoint a government with politicians and a prime minister from other camps.
In this case, the prime minister would have a much more important position in the state. In particular, the new left-wing alliance of the Left Party, Socialists, Greens and Communists, led by left-wing politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon, is hoping for significantly more seats in parliament.
Voter turnout was already at a low point, with polls showing that less than half wanted to cast their vote. In some French overseas territories, the election had already started on Saturday due to the time difference. The second round of the parliamentary elections is on Sunday in a week./evs/DP/mis