France's Parliamentary Elections on June 11th: Whats at Stake?

The presidential victory of Emmanuel Macron, a political centrist and former banker, over the far-right nationalist Marine Le Pen in May was just the beginning of France's electoral field battles this year.

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On June 11th and 18th, France will once again return to the ballot around the country to elect 577 parliamentary representatives from a total of almost 8,000 candidates.

French politics, traditionally dominated by two-party hegemony, has increasingly become splintered by the surging popularity of alternative parties and political leaders across the political spectrum, echoing similar trends elsewhere in the world.

With over 200 outgoing lawmakers not up for re-election, the selection is expected to be a major determiner for France's political direction. The newly elected Macron is hoping to solidify his leadership by winning an absolute majority (289 out of 577 seats) for his party En Marche in parliament to avoid the necessity of coalition-building.

Meanwhile, the far-right wing embodied in the National Front will be seeking to establish itself as the main opposition party following its presidential candidate Marine Le Pen's loss in the presidential race.

France's center-left Socialist Party, which has traditionally been among the most prominent mainstream forces in French electoral politics, is facing particularly high stakes to maintain relevance after a crushing defeat in the presidential race.

The conservative Republicans, once one of the major forces in France, are also facing the threat of sidelining following a rough presidential race. They hope to establish a right-wing group alongside Macron's En Marche, however with 50 of their currently held seats not standing for re-election it may be an uphill battle.

In many constituencies there are over 20 candidates from various parties competing for seats and the state funds that come with them. In total, there are 7,882 candidates for the 577 seats.

In the races, if no candidate achieves 50 percent in the first round, a second round is held with each candidate who garnered at least 12.5 percent.