The French have spoken at the polls in this first round, which has had a historic participation of more than 66.5% and has given the RN 33.15% of the votes. In total, the RN received the support of 10,628,500 French people. This is more than double the votes received in the previous legislative elections in 2022, and 10 times more than in 2007. On July 7, the far right will face the New Popular Front of France in a second round. Jean-Luc Mélenchona left-wing bloc that won 27.99% of the votes.
The clear victory of the extreme right has been seen throughout France, but not in a homogeneous way. Much of the support for Le Pen and Bardella is due to the RN’s promise to curb illegal immigration in the country and to regulate the current law more strictly. Therefore, should not the RN have reaped its greatest benefits in the regions with the largest immigrant population?
In the case of Paris, the answer is clear: NoThe far right obtained the worst results in the capital, with only 6.98% of votes in the 18th Parisian constituency. Seine-Saint Denisthe department with the highest percentage of immigrant population in all of France (31.6%), New Popular Front (NFP) won by a landslide with 52.23% of the votes. Although these figures are exceptional, the RN was not the leading political force in the whole of Île de France. In the region that houses the metropolitan area of Paris, the far right only won in the department of Seine-et-Marne (35.43%), and in others such as Hauts-de-Seine it was the fourth political force.
The same thing has happened in the Rhône department of which it is the capital. LyonIn this region, where 13.1% of the voters are foreigners, the NFP won with 34.09% of the votes and ten points above Le Pen. Toulousethe same: 38.02% support for the left bloc, and the extreme right only eight points behind.
However, these cities (three of the four most populated in the country) are an exception. The east and the Mediterranean coast, strongholds of the party along with the north, have overwhelmingly supported the RN. Coincidentally or not, these are also the regions that have historically received the largest number of immigrants. In France’s second city, Marseillesa phenomenon has been observed that has followed the entire Provençal coast, from Nice to Perpignan: the national average of votes for the National Rally has been exceeded. In its Bouches-du-Rhône department, which according to the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) is inhabited by 11.3% immigrants, 40.93% of the electorate voted for the far right.
In Nice and the Maritime Alps, the figure rises to 45.36%, and in Avignon and Vaucluse, at 46.22%. In Montpellierthe RN won 39.22% of the votes, well above the national average of 33.15%. The same rule applies to the other main immigrant-hosting cities, located mainly in eastern France, such as Grenoble (Isere department, 34.53%), Strasbourg (Lower Rhine, 34.07%) or Metz (Moselle, 43.16%).
The victory of the far right over the NFP in the major multicultural centres of France (except, as has been pointed out, Paris, Lyon and Toulouse) does not mean that the RN has not convinced those voters who live far from the “migratory threat”, in Le Pen’s words. In the Atlantic Coastwhere the immigrant population rates are the lowest in the whole country, the RN has also had successes. In the Vendée department, with a 3.0% foreign population, 33.01% of the electorate supported Bardella. The same was true in Charente Maritime (3.5% immigrants, 37% of votes for the RN) or in Morbihan (3.4% and 30.74%). However, these figures are slightly lower than the national average, not to mention those of the regions with the most immigrants. The great exception is in Pas de Calaisa unique department as it is the departure point for boats to the south coast of England. There, although there are only 2.1% of registered foreigners, Le Pen’s party received 50.03% of the votes.
The ultra-right drift has become even more pronounced in the north: in the department of AisneIn the district of , where according to INSEE 5% of the inhabitants are immigrants, the far-right RN managed to obtain 53.37% of the votes. In fact, its third constituency received the highest result for Le Pen and Bardella’s party in France: 57.64% of the votes.
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