Campaigning kicks off for France’s snap elections

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – Campaigning kicked off Monday for France’s snap elections, which were called by President Emmanuel Macron after the far-right National Rally party’s crushing victory in European Parliament elections earlier this month.

According to French media, opinion polls indicate that National Rally leads with 35%, followed by an alliance of left-wing parties that includes the French Communist Party, the Socialist Party, the Greens, the France Unbowed (LFI) party and the Republican and Socialist Left with 25%-26%.

Macron’s Renaissance party is expected to come in third with 19%-20%.

The first round of the elections will take place on June 30 and the second round will be held on July 7.

In the French leg of the European Parliament elections, National Rally secured 31.4% of the vote and took the lead by a wide margin, while Macron's Renaissance party came in second with 14.6%, after which the president called for early elections.