Emilie Chandler, a moderate, is still in a three-way contest for her parliamentary constituency in Magny-en-Vexin, raising the possibility of a far-right win. The far-right National Rally (RN) needs to win Chandler’s Val d’Oise constituency to gain a majority in Sunday’s election. Candidates that receive at least 12.5% of the vote in France’s election system can advance to the second round, which frequently helps the extreme right.
Chandler, who came in third place with 25% of the first-round votes, continues despite her limited chances, justifying her choice as essential to her constituents. Approximately 300 constituencies across the country held three-way elections, but more than 200 of the third-place finishers withdrew to oppose the far right. According to polls, this “republican front” may not win as many seats as expected for RNs, but it may still gain the highest share.
Fearing the rhetoric of the far right, local business owner Mourad Elferdi—an NFP voter—criticised Chandler’s choice. While RN candidate Anne Sicard emphasised cultural pride and immigration worries, NFP candidate Maximilien Jules-Arthur termed Chandler’s move “shameful” and disputed the existence of dangerous ideas.
Veteran Gerard De Dios switched his allegiance to RN, citing concerns about crime and insecurity in his defence of three-way contests that honour voters’ preferences.
