Summary of the day
The French interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, said some 30,000 police will be deployed across France late on Sunday following the second round of elections to ensure there is no trouble.
Late last night, the French prime minister, Gabriel Attal, said candidate Prisca Thevenot – the government spokesperson – and members of her campaign team were attacked by four individuals while putting up election posters. “Violence and intimidation have no place in our democracy,” he said.
Today, Thevenot thanked law enforcement and said “violence is never the answer.”
The French prosecutor’s office said it opened an investigation into an assault with a weapon against a public official.
A new poll from Ifop shows that 47% of voters believe the far right National Rally will win an absolute majority of seats in Sunday’s election.
The far right National Rally’s Marine Le Pen argued her party can still win an absolute majority. “I think there is still the capacity to have an absolute majority with the electorate turning out in a final effort to get what they want,” she said.
Raphaël Glucksmann, who led the French Socialist-Place Publique list in the European elections, has cautioned against a belief that “we have saved things” already and called for urgency to defeat the far right.
The Ecologists’ Marine Tondelier has criticised the far right National Rally’s Jordan Bardella, arguing that his party is allowing some candidates who made racist, anti-Semitic and misogynistic comments to remain on the ballot.
Some 30,000 police will be deployed across France late on Sunday following the second round of elections to ensure there is no trouble, a minister said, Reuters reported.
The interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, said he would be “very careful” about security on Sunday evening.
Some 5,000 of the 30,000 police deployed that evening will be located in Paris and its surroundings, and they will “ensure that the radical right and radical left do not take advantage of the situation to cause mayhem”, he told France 2 TV.
The Ecologists’ Marine Tondelier has criticised the far right National Rally’s Jordan Bardella, arguing that his party is allowing some candidates who made racist, anti-Semitic and misogynistic comments to remain on the ballot.
Hier, sur @BFMTV, Bardella a dit à plusieurs reprises vouloir sanctionner et « mettre à la porte » du Rassemblement national toutes les « brebis galeuses » candidates. Sous-entendu : les candidat·es ayant eu des propos racistes, antisémites, misogynes etc.
— Marine Tondelier (@marinetondelier) July 4, 2024
Or, toutes et tous…
Updated
The French prosecutor’s office said it opened an investigation into an assault with a weapon against a public official, after government spokesperson and candidate Prisca Thevenot and her team were attacked yesterday, the Associated Press reported.
The office provided no indication of what the motivation of the attack was, according to the AP.
Thevenot was reportedly not injured but her deputy and a party activist were taken to a hospital.
Updated
Prisca Thevenot, the government spokesperson and candidate who was attacked yesterday as she was campaigning with her team, has thanked law enforcement.
“Violence is never the answer,” she said.
Suite à l’agression que j’ai subie hier avec Virginie et notre équipe de campagne, je tiens à remercier les forces de l’ordre et les sapeurs pompiers.
— Prisca THEVENOT (@priscathevenot) July 4, 2024
Merci également à tous pour vos soutiens♥️
La violence n’est jamais la réponse.
Je terminerai ma campagne sur le terrain.
French voters face choice of least worst option in high-stakes election
At a market in Meyzieu, a small commune on the outskirts of Lyon, Kheira Vermorel eyed a box filled with potatoes, wondering if the sizeable spuds would be enough to soothe tensions at home.
For weeks – specifically since France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, plunged the country into shock snap elections – she and her husband had been at odds. “It’s been really hard,” she said. “I’m worried it might lead to a divorce.”
At the heart of their weeks-long dispute was the forthcoming ballot. Last election Vermorel, who moved to France from Algeria 35 years ago, voted for Macron. This time, however, she was convinced that it was time to give the political class a shake by casting her vote for the far-right, anti-immigrant National Rally (RN).
“Politicians don’t show up, they talk, they always promise things but nothing happens,” said the 54-year-old. She waved off the widespread concerns about the party’s policies that target Muslims, citing how she, a practising Muslim, had learned to balance her fate with France’s secularism.
Her French husband, however, was vehemently opposed to the party’s hardline stance on immigrants. “He tells me: ‘If migrants are here, it’s because they don’t have any other choice,’” she said, citing those who live on the streets. “And he says if they’re in that situation, it’s because they’ve lost everything.”
47% of voters believe National Rally will get absolute majority: poll
A new poll from Ifop shows that 47% of voters believe the far right National Rally will win an absolute majority of seats in Sunday’s election.
15% said “certainly” and 32% said “probably”.
📊Étude @IfopOpinion - @Fiducial pour @SudRadio, @LCI & @Le_Figaro : le regard des Français sur les élections législatives
— Ifop Opinion (@IfopOpinion) July 4, 2024
47% des électeurs estiment que le RN obtiendra une majorité absolue à l’AN pour gouverner le pays
👉77% parmi les électeurs du RN au 1er tour pic.twitter.com/wt7EGofjkj
Updated
Marine Le Pen has said that there are unacceptable comments from some National Rally candidates which will lead to sanctions but that some comments are blunders.
Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel): "Il y a des propos inadmissibles (de candidats RN) qui entraineront des sanctions mais il y a des propos qui sont des maladresses" pic.twitter.com/MhoH0YwvdK
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) July 4, 2024
“If I’m on CNEWS this morning, it’s because on Sunday every vote will count to prevent Jordan Bardella from entering Matignon,” the Ecologists’ Marine Tondelier said this morning.
“I would like to address myself to listeners many of whom, a priori, do not agree with me.”
CNews is part of the Canal+ group owned by the billionaire industrialist Vincent Bolloré. Critics have described it as the “French Fox News” and its debate shows often focus on issues such as immigration and crime.
Si je suis sur #CNEWS ce matin, c'est parce que dimanche chaque voix va compter pour empêcher Jordan Bardella d'entrer à Matignon.
— Marine Tondelier (@marinetondelier) July 4, 2024
Je souhaite m’adresser y compris à des auditeurs qui pour beaucoup, a priori, ne sont pas d’accord avec moi.
Je ne convaincrai peut-être pas tout… pic.twitter.com/wkgR8Nn2EJ
Updated
'Violence and intimidation have no place in our democracy', prime minister says
Late last night, the French prime minister, Gabriel Attal, said candidate Prisca Thevenot – the government spokesperson – and members of her campaign team were attacked by four individuals while putting up election posters.
“Violence and intimidation have no place in our democracy,” he said. “They have no place in our Republic,” he added, expressing his solidarity with the candidate and her team.
Ce soir, une candidate, Prisca Thevenot, et des membres de son équipe de campagne ont été agressés par quatre individus à Meudon alors qu’ils collaient des affiches électorales.
— Gabriel Attal (@GabrielAttal) July 3, 2024
La violence et les intimidations n’ont pas leur place dans notre démocratie.
Elles n’ont pas leur…
Jordan Bardella, leader of the far right National Rally, expressed support for Thevenot and for Marie Dauchy, a far right candidate who yesterday said she was attacked and suspending her campaign.
J'exprime mon soutien entier à notre candidate Marie Dauchy et à Mme Prisca Thevenot, qui ont été agressées.
— Jordan Bardella (@J_Bardella) July 3, 2024
J'entends être le Premier ministre qui rétablira l'autorité de l’État, qui durcira considérablement les sanctions, et j'appelle au calme et à l'apaisement. #FaceABFM pic.twitter.com/LNILeRp5ub
Don't lose urgency, left wing politician says warning far right could still win absolute majority
Raphaël Glucksmann, who led the French Socialist-Place Publique list in the European elections, has cautioned against a belief that “we have saved things” already.
Speaking on France Inter, Glucksmann said there’s “extreme urgency” to prevent a victory of the far right this Sunday and that withdrawals do not automatically mean a defeat for the National Rally.
.@rglucks1 : "Le RN, c'est la cinquième colonne de Vladimir Poutine qui peut prendre le pouvoir dans notre pays" #le710Inter pic.twitter.com/VXjnzCJrJI
— France Inter (@franceinter) July 4, 2024
Welcome to the blog
Good morning and welcome back to the Europe blog, where we will be focusing today on the latest in the French election campaign.
Send your comments to lili.bayer@theguardian.com.
