Europe
Le Pen Rivals Land Blow in Bid to Keep Far Right From Power
- Other parties maneuver to block National Rally in runoffs
- Voters will return to polling stations for second round Sunday
Marine Le Pen
Photographer: Jonathan Alpeyrie/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist group and a left-wing alliance strategically pulled hundreds of candidates from the second round of France’s legislative election to reduce the chance of Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally getting an absolute majority.
National Rally’s opponents collectively pulled 223 candidates out of constituencies with more than two people in Sunday’s runoff vote, according to Interior Ministry data released Wednesday, in an effort to avoid splitting opposition to the far right. That means Le Pen’s party and its allies will be on the ballot in 214 districts where rivals have teamed up.