June 28 (UPI) — Exit polls on Sunday showed that France’s far-right National Rally Party wasn’t on track to win any regions in the second round of voting in France’s regional elections.
Early surveys suggested that incumbents would likely keep their seats, as the right won 38% of votes nationwide and left parties won 34.5% amid record low turnout.
President Emmanuel Macron‘s La Republique en Marche Party won just 7% of the vote in a race to renew 13 metropolitan councils, while the National Rally, led by former far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, earned 20%.
The National Rally party also appeared poised to fail to secure a single region as its candidate in the Marseille region, who was projected to have the best chance at victory, appeared on track to fall to the conservative incumbent.
Macron’s party was also on track to end the election without winning any regions, coming after failing to secure any major cities in last year’s municipal elections.
Turnout for the second round was estimated at about 34.5% on Sunday after a record low of 33% during the first round last week.
Last year’s municipal elections, which were held shortly after France lifted its first COVID-19 restrictions, had a turnout of about 41%.
Pierre Moscovici, a former left-wing economic minister and president of the Court of Auditors, described the low turnout as a “democratic crisis” and said it was a result of “electoral apathy.”
