French Opposition Parties Make Frantic Last-Minute Deals To Try To Fend Off Far-Right Landslide

As the sun sets on the French presidential election, opposition parties are scrambling to make desperate deals to prevent a far-right landslide that could reshape the country’s political landscape.

With polls indicating a strong likelihood of a victory for far-right candidate Marine Le Pen and her National Rally party, the center-left Macron Alliance and other opposition parties are frantically attempting to form a coalition to block her path.

The urgency is palpable, with just hours to go before the election closes on Sunday. The stakes are high, with Le Pen’s victory seen as a potential threat to France’s European Union membership, NATO, and the country’s long-standing social policies.

“We are fighting for the very soul of France,” declared Emmanuel Macron, the incumbent president, in a last-ditch appeal to voters. “We cannot let the far-right dictate the terms of our country’s future.”

The Macron Alliance, which has been struggling to regain momentum, has reached out to the left-leaning Socialist and Communist parties, as well as the green party, to forge a united front against the far-right. The parties have agreed to put aside their differences and present a joint candidate to block Le Pen’s path.

Meanwhile, the far-right party has been touting its own alliance with the far-right National Front of Marine Le Pen’s late father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, a notorious anti-immigrant and anti-Semitic figure. The move has sparked widespread outrage, with critics accusing Le Pen of exploiting her father’s legacy to score political points.

The opposition parties are pinning their hopes on the youth vote, with Macron’s government launching a last-minute appeal to young voters to turn out and prevent a Le Pen victory. “This is not just about the future of France, it’s about the future of our values and principles,” said Macron’s campaign manager.

The French Electoral Authority is set to conduct a final round of checks on the voting systems and polling stations before the election closes. The results are expected to start trickling in shortly after the polls close on Sunday evening.

The outcome is far from certain, with many experts predicting a narrow victory for Le Pen or a potentially even more unlikely outcome – a runoff election between the top two candidates. Whichever the outcome, one thing is clear: the French elections are set to be a turning point in the country’s political history, with far-reaching implications for its relationship with Europe, the world, and its own identity.

In a last-ditch effort to sway voters, Macron has also pledged to enact a range of reforms to address the widespread frustration and discontent among the French electorate. He has vowed to increase investment in education, healthcare, and social services, as well as to tackle the persistent issue of unemployment.

As the clock ticks down, the French opposition parties are scrambling to present a united front against the far-right, hoping to prevent a landslide victory that would redraw the country’s political landscape. The fate of France hangs in the balance, with the world watching anxiously as the polls close on Sunday.