France can finally relax before holding its election on June 8th. A difficult campaign season has come to a conclusion and France now can relax before going through with elections on April 23rd.

“Every election cycle it seems worse. Gerald Darmanin faces an unprecedented challenge from France’s far-right candidate who came within 800 votes of him on Sunday in Tourcoing – making this race for France’s interior minister even tougher. To better the odds against him and in order to give leftist candidate Leslie Mortreux an increased chance against RN’s local candidacy in Tourcoing’s second round vote he decided not to participate; 217 candidates from both New Popular Front and Macron Ensemble alliance have withdrew to prevent him winning an appointment.” Though many three-way races remain to be decided, 409 seats will now be decided through one-on-one contests. After the initial round, some polls indicated RN may gain control of an outright majority in the National Assembly; however, later polls show this possibility has now passed. Marine Le Pen believes she still stands a “serious chance” of winning all 289 Assembly seats necessary for control, yet pollsters estimate around 200 as being more realistic. One major poll conducted hours before campaign’s conclusion suggested withdrawals by third-placed leftist and centrist candidates had dashed hopes of National Rally leader Marine Le Pen’s protege becoming prime minister at 28. “We are currently witnessing the formation of an antidemocratic alliance between Melenchon and Macron that seeks solely to prevent us from winning elections.” Jordan Bardella voiced these sentiments of frustration. “Their aim is clear – prevent us from winning! “The Popular Front, comprised of Socialists, Greens and Communists, has its largest party as France Unbowed led by revolutionary firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon – widely seen by his rivals as extremist and no friend to President Emmanuel Macron.” However despite their agreement on keeping out far right elements there remains little love lost between their camps. “To combat extreme right wing views with extreme left wing positions is impossible,” France Unbowed candidate had pulled out to help Macron centrists win election. Macron centrists currently trail both Popular Front and National Rally parties significantly in polls. “French citizens have had enough with Macron, while I tend to stand closer to the middle,” noted Marc in Tourcoing. The cost of living has become prohibitively expensive for everyone while rich have become richer while poor have become poorer. National Rally has focused its campaigning around media appearances by Mr Bardella and Marine Le Pen, with allegations that “phantom candidates” barely showed up. Elodie Babin from Orleans qualified for round two despite making no attempt at campaigning; later she claimed she had been sick for 10 days! RN proved especially popular in rural areas like Mennecy near Paris when Mathieu Hillaire held his final Popular Front event there.” Mattthieu Hillaire of the New Popular Front is in an electoral battle with Nathalie Da Conceicao Carvalho of RN in Essonne area south of Paris; her pro-Macron opponent pulled out so Nathalie Da Conceicao Carvalho would have better odds at blocking Jordan Bardella and blocking extremist groups such as PEGIDA, VEV and LNC from coming into office. While tensions in Essonne have not been as tense, people in nearby Essonne remain anxious: many voters fear Jordan Bardella; next week I don’t know exactly where or what I will do it but what matters for sure is one thing; doing what needs doing and that matters only one thing is serving my people and them being part of France.”