There is a critical election in France that could lead to a historic victory for the far right

The French National Rally: What is it like to vote for a new prime minister? A pessimistic lawyer’s perspective

With the uncertain outcome looming over the high-stakes elections, Valerie Dodeman, 55-year-old legal expert said she is pessimistic about the future of France.

Le Pen doesn’t call for quitting NATO and the EU anymore because she believes that it would make the party more electable. But the party’s core far-right values remain. It wants a referendum to see if being born in France qualifies you for citizenship, to curb rights of dual citizens, and to give police more freedom to use weapons.

If the National Rally gets an absolute majority in the elections, Jordan Bardella, the leader, could become the first far-right prime minister since World War II. The party came out on top in the previous week’s first round of voting, followed by a coalition of left- and Green-leaning parties.

Both would be unprecedented for modern France, and make it more difficult for the European Union’s No. 2 economy to make bold decisions on arming Ukraine, reforming labor laws or reducing its huge deficit. Financial markets have been jittery since Macron surprised even his closest allies in June by announcing snap elections after the National Rally won the most seats for France in European Parliament elections.

More than 49 million people are expected to vote in the elections, which will decide which party controls the National Assembly and who will become the prime minister. If support for the centrist majority erodes, he will have to share power with groups opposed to most of his policies.

French President Emmanuel Macron took a huge gamble in dissolving parliament and calling for the elections after his centrists were trounced in European elections on June 9.

Anisotropy in France’s parliamentary elections: high turnout, high crime rates and an animosity of the national assembly

“The individual freedoms, tolerance and respect for others is what at stake today,” said Thomas Bertrand, a 45-year-old voter who works in advertising.

Racism and antisemitism have marred the electoral campaign, along with Russian cybercampaigns, and more than 50 candidates reported being physically attacked — highly unusual for France. The government is deploying 30,000 police on voting day.

While France is celebrating a special summer, such as Paris being awarded the Olympics, the national soccer team reaching the semifinals of the Euro 2024 Championship and the Tour de France, there are heightened tensions.

As of noon local time, turnout was at 26.63%, according to France’s Interior Ministry, slightly higher than the 25.90% reported at the same time during the first round last Sunday.

The French president and his wife cast their votes in the seaside resort town of La Touquet. In the Paris suburb of Vanves, Gabriel Attal voted.

Le Pen is not voting, because her district in northern France is not holding a second round after she won the seat outright last week. A total of 76 other candidates secured seats in the first round, 39 from her National Rally and 32 from the New Popular Front alliance. The two centrists won their seats in the first round.

The elections wrap up Sunday at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT) in mainland France and on the island of Corsica. Initial polling projections are expected Sunday night, with early official results expected late Sunday and early Monday.

Voters residing in the Americas and in France’s overseas territories of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Guyana and French Polynesia voted on Saturday.

Projections by French polling experts show that France could be headed for political stalemate after no party or alliance of parties appeared to have secured a majority of parliamentary seats.

The government will be doomed if it does not have an absolute majority, said Rousseau, an old professor of public law at the university.

The projections suggested that the National Assembly, France’s lower house of Parliament, will be roughly divided into three main blocs with conflicting agendas and, in some cases, deep animosity toward one another.

Pollster projections released Sunday night after polls closed in the final round of legislative elections indicated that a group of left-wing parties called the New Popular Front would win the most seats, followed by Mr. Macron’s centrist alliance and the nationalist, anti-immigration National Rally. It was not clear whether the centrists or the right-wing National Rally would be the second-largest bloc.

None of the major blocs seems to be able to work with the others. Smaller parties or independents could help cobble together a working majority, as well as take up seats in the lower house. They are unsure of their ability to do so.

“French political culture is not conducive to compromise,” said Samy Benzina, a public law professor at the University of Poitiers, noting that France’s institutions are normally designed to produce “clear majorities that can govern on their own.”

The National Rally has already said it would govern only if it had an absolute majority, or if it was just short of one and thought it could strike a deal with enough other lawmakers to bridge the gap. According to French radio last week, Marine Le Pen said that she would not agree to being a minister and not being able to do anything if she were elected.

A leader from a left-wing party said on Sunday that he would not enter negotiations with the Mr.Macron’s government to form one.

Some analysts and politicians have proposed a coalition of lawmakers, agreeing on a few issues and stretching from the Greens to more moderate conservatives. Several political leaders have ruled that out.

There is a possibility of a political neutral government that handles day to day business until a breakthrough is reached. This would be a departure from the French tradition.