Paris, 30 June 2024 (dpa/MIA) – The first round of elections to France's National Assembly are being held on Sunday, with President Emmanuel Macron seeking to increase the relative majority currently held in the lower house by his centrist movement.

Polling booths open at 8 am (0600 GMT), with 49.3 million people eligible to vote. Voting in a number of overseas territories has already started.

Macron called early elections after the far-right National Rally (RN) made large gains in elections to the European Parliament at the beginning of this month.

The RN is leading in pre-election polling ahead of the new leftist alliance, the New Popular Front (NPF), recently established to contest the elections. The Ensemble (Together) alliance, led by Macron's Renaissance party, is trailing in third place.

If the RN secures a majority in the 577-member National Assembly, Macron will be compelled to appoint a prime minister from its ranks to secure a stable Cabinet.

Candidates securing an absolute majority in the first round are elected to the assembly, but in most constituencies the victor will emerge only after the second round on July 7.

Macron's second and final term in office ends in 2027. A sharp decline in support for Renaissance is certain to limit his effectiveness. The RN's Marine Le Pen is seen as a serious contender in the next presidential elections.

Photo: EPA