Turnout in the first round of the French parliamentary elections stood at 18.43 percent at noon. This figure is 0.8 points lower than in 2017, when it was 19.24 percent. It is also down sharply from the first round of the 2022 presidential election, when the noon turnout was 25.48 percent.
The first round of the parliamentary elections for 577 seats in the lower-house National Assembly is underway.
Nupes, an alliance of left-wing parties – comprised of La France Insoumise ("France Unbowed"), Socialist, Green and Communist parties – is expected to mount a serious challenge to President Emmanuel Macron's Ensemble ("Together") alliance.
Elections for the 577 seats in the lower-house National Assembly are a two-round process. The shape of the new parliament will become clear only after the second round, a week later, on June 19.
While the election will determine the shape of country’s politics for the next five years, there is a concern among political parties about the potential for high voter abstention.
Polls open in mainland France at 8am (0600 GMT), after voters in overseas territories cast ballots earlier in the weekend.
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