Contrary to many predictions, France’s far-right Rassemblement National party failed to win an absolute majority in parliament in the elections that concluded last weekend. But it nevertheless garnered more votes than any other party or alliance, and numerous observers warn that its support is likely to grow stronger ahead of presidential elections due in 2027. Amid what might prove simply a respite, Mediapart turned to political activists, writers, academics and journalists who live, or have lived, under far-right and populist governments, to hear their views on the situation in France, and which included the advice to prepare for the worst now. Justine Brabant reports.

Emmanuel Macron’s dissolution of parliament destroyed his centre-right party’s previous relative majority, and in the ensuing elections it was overtaken by the broad coalition of leftwing parties, the Nouveau Front Populaire, which now represents the largest bloc in the National Assembly. But despite the credibility the French president has lost with his roll of the dice, and despite the unpopularity of his Renaissance party as expressed in the urns, many among the Macron camp still apparently believe they have the upper hand in French politics, writes Mediapart political affairs correspondent Ellen Salvi in this op-ed article. As difficult negotiations began this week to form a new government, the depleted Macronists have even been lecturing opponents, and notably the Left, on their conditions for supposedly sharing power.

France went to the polls on Sunday in the second and final round of crucial parliamentary elections to elect the members of the French lower house, the National Assembly. The snap elections were called by centre-right President Emmanuel Macron one month ago after the far-right’s resounding victory in France in the voting in European Parliament elections. Macron’s move, in which he hoped to defeat the far-right and diminish his opponents on both the Left and Right, was a gamble that threw the country into turmoil, with the far-right tipped to win an absolute majority after the second round. But after a knife-edge week, it was not to be. Follow the events on Sunday in our live coverage of results and reactions as they came in through the evening, and which saw an alliance of the Left win the day. Reporting by Michael Streeter and Graham Tearse.

The far-right Rassemblement National party hopes to win an absolute majority after the second round of voting on Sunday in France’s parliamentary elections. In this op-ed article, Mediapart’s publishing editor Carine Fouteau examines what is at stake behind Sunday’s poll, and calls on all those still hesitating over their choice at the urns to urgently examine their conscience and prevent the far-right from reaching power.

The landslide of votes cast for the far-right Rassemblement National party in the first round of France’s parliamentary elections on Sunday have put it on course to gain a possible absolute majority in the National Assembly after next Sunday’s final, second-round vote. Among the far-right candidates whose high scores last Sunday leave them likely to be elected to parliament next weekend are individuals who take to social media with openly racist, anti-Semitic, Islamophobic and homophobic comments. Antton Rouget reports.      

Paris is hosting the Paralympic Games and the organisation of infrastructures for the more than 4,000 competing athletes has been widely praised. But outside the Olympic village, the daily obstacles in the path of the disabled in the French capital, and in particular for wheelchair users, in taking public transport, accessing a GP’s surgery or entering shops, can be a major challenge. “It is an undeclared form of segregation,” commented Nicolas Mérille, national advisor on issues of accessibility for APF France Handicap, an association that champions the rights of the disabled. Cécile Hautefeuille reports.

France went to the polls this Sunday for the first round of crunch parliamentary elections to elect the 577 members of the next National Assembly. This unscheduled snap election has taken place as a result of President Emmanuel Macron's unexpected decision on June 9th to dissolve the Assembly. But that gamble looks as if it has backfired spectacularly and dramatically. Various projections after today's first round of voting suggest that the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) could pick up around 260 to 280 seats or more in next week's decisive second round vote. If so, there is a chance that France could get its first far-right government since 1945; they need 289 for a majority. The new leftwing alliance Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) is also expected to do well, and may pick up 160 seats. But the president's centre-right coalition looks set to be heavily defeated. With the centre-right and Left tonight pledging to block the RN's path to power, the likely outcomes look set to be either a narrow RN majority or, more probably, a hung Parliament with the RN as the single biggest party. Follow our live coverage of the first-round results and reactions as they came in through the evening. Reporting by Graham Tearse and Michael Streeter.

A collapse in support for the centre-right camp of President Emmanuel Macron, a stronger leftwing alliance and a potentially game-changing breakthrough by the far-right Rassemblement National ... as voters head for the ballot box today for the first round of what is both an uncertain and an historic parliamentary election, Mediapart examines what is at stake for the main political groups taking part. Mathieu Dejean, Pauline Graulle, Youmni Kezzouf, Ilyes Ramdani and Ellen Salvi report.

Jean-Luc Schaffhauser, the Member of the European Parliament who negotiated a Russian loan for France's far-right Rassemblement National, runs a foundation which received hundreds of thousands of euros in return for speeches in the Parliament that were favourable to Moscow, according to emails seen by Mediapart. When questioned about this Marine Le Pen, who was president of the party at the time of the Russian loan, did not respond. Marine Turchi reports.

The transfer of seven New Caledonian pro-independence activists to prisons in mainland France following the recent unrest has fuelled a new wave of violence in the French Pacific territory since Saturday. The group behind the recent protests is now making the return of these “political prisoners” a new condition for peace on the troubled archipelago. Gilles Caprais reports from New Caledonia's capital Nouméa.