French voters cast ballot in pivotal runoff election that could propel far-right to power

(7 Jul 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
LEGAL NOTICE: Subscribers should ensure their broadcasters on any medium on Sunday July 7 until 1800GMT comply with the French electoral code, notably Article L49 Electoral Code, which prohibits the broadcast or publication by any means of communication, to the French public, messages that have the character of “electoral propaganda”.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris, France - 07 July 2024
1. Various of voters casting ballots at Paris polling station
2. Close of ballot box with votes inside
3. People entering polling station
4. Close of French and EU flags
5. SOUNDBITE (French) Thomas Bertrand, 45-year-old voter:
“The individual freedoms and also the tolerance and the respect for others is what at stake today.”
6. Close of sign on school reading (French) “Freedom, Equality and Brotherhood" - the values of the French Republic
7. SOUNDBITE (French) Pierre Lubin, 45-year-old voter:
“We are here and it is important to send a message to France of unity. France is an indivisible republic. We are all French, so this is the important message in this election.”
8. Exterior of polling station
9. SOUNDBITE (French) Pierre Lubin, 45-year-old voter:
“Yes there could be instability, there are a number of scenarios that can occur following the election. The big question is what government? What majority will come out tonight to form a government, and the decision of Emmanuel Macron, what government can he nominate? Will it be a technocrat government or a government to form a kind of coalition between political forces? So this is a concern for us.”
10. Various of polling station
11. SOUNDBITE (French) Sylvie Villeyt, 75-year-old voter:
“I think it will be very mixed and we will be, perhaps, in a situation with three blocks.”
12. Voter inside casting ballot
13. SOUNDBITE (French) Valerie Dodeman, 55-year-old voter:
“I wonder how we will manage to have a government. Mostly this (is my concern), I don’t know if they will be able to vote through decisions at the (National) Assembly. It is complicated, it is complicated.”
14. Voters at polling station
15. SOUNDBITE (French) Valerie Dodeman, 55-year-old voter:
“For a year nothing will happen, there will be demonstrations everywhere, they will break everything, this is what will happen.
(Reporter: "this is what you think will happen?")
No matter what happens I think this election will leave people disgruntled, from one side to the other.”
16. Various of exterior of polling station
STORYLINE:
Voting has begun in mainland France on Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision - or produce a hung parliament and years of political deadlock.
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.
The snap elections in this nuclear-armed nation will influence the war in Ukraine, global diplomacy and Europe’s economic stability, and they’re almost certain to undercut President Emmanuel Macron for the remaining three years of his presidency.
The first round on June 30 saw the largest gains ever for the anti-immigration, nationalist National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen.
Voters at a polling station in Paris on Sunday said they were concerned that the outcome of the poll could cause instability in the nation and a political deadlock.
AP video shot by Helena Alves and Florent Bjarami
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