In the upcoming days, there will be a lot of discussion about left- and centrist candidates withdrawing from the race in round two to focus the anti-RN vote, as well as lamentations over the demise of the former Front Républicain (when the other parties used to agree to keep the far-right out).
However, the only indisputable conclusion from this first round of voting is that RN is now unquestionably the dominant political force in France, and it would take a massive upset to reverse that.
Still, there are still a lot of important decisions that need to be made over the course of the next week.
It’s the difference between a far-right government that can do anything it wants because it has an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly and one that can’t accomplish anything because the Assembly is divided.
As it is, the RN can see anywhere from 260 to 310 in the seat projections. It is evident that there is still much to be determined, as 289 seats represent an absolute majority.
