National rally leaders meet ahead of the 2nd round of France's legislative election

(1 Jul 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris - 1 July 2024
1. National Rally leader Marine Le Pen arriving at party headquarters
2. National Rally President Jordan Bardella arriving
3. SOUNDBITE (French) Jordan Bardella, National Rally President:
(Journalist: You are calling for a debate with Jean-Luc Melenchon this morning, does that mean that for you 'Macronism' is dead?)
"I think the French need clarity and that there are now two paths emerging for the country, either the alliance of the far-left grouped behind Jean-Luc Melenchon, who at least had the clarity to come out of ambiguity last night by declaring his candidacy for the post of Prime Minister in the event of a far-left victory on Sunday. And then the alliance I'm leading around the National Rally. And so this is a moment of clarification, and I propose to Jean-Luc Melenchon a debate project against project between those who are destined to be in a cohabitation."
++BLACK FRAMES++
4. SOUNDBITE (French) Jordan Bardella, National Rally President:
"This alliance (left-wing alliance) has neither head nor tail, and I'm reaching out to all voters on the right, in the center, but also the reasonable left who don't want to see Jean-Luc Melenchon become France's Prime Minister, because that would mean insurrection, chaos and economic disorder for our country."
++BLACK FRAMES++
5. SOUNDBITE (French) Jordan Bardella, National Rally President:
“My ambition is an absolute majority. I call on the French people to remain mobilized and I obviously intend, on the basis of this absolute majority, to form a government of national unity to implement the recovery project I have presented to the country. And I'm the only one in this election not only to be able to beat Mr. Melenchon, but to talk about the substance and the day-to-day concerns of the French people - purchasing power, security and immigration. And I don't mean spending my week talk about nothing. We have to talk about the day-to-day life of the French. In any case, that's my obsession."
++BLACK FRAMES++
6. SOUNDBITE (French) Jordan Bardella, National Rally President:
"The Executive Board… firstly, the National rally has qualified in many constituencies, in an overwhelming majority of constituencies. As far as the constituencies where we are not in a position to win are concerned, we've got an executive committee meeting in a few minutes, and we'll be looking at all those. In any case, my priority is obviously to talk about the day-to-day lives of the French people. We can win and I obviously call on all our compatriots to remain mobilized."
7. Bardella walking into headquarters
8. Wide of street
STORYLINE:
The leaders of France's far-right National Rally arrived for a meeting at party headquarters on Monday after surging into the lead in the first round of legislative elections.
Results released early on Monday showed the party - with a history of racism and xenophobia and once shunned by the mainstream - is no longer taboo and confined to the fringes of French politics.
Speaking on arrival at the headquarters in Paris, National Rally President Jordan Bardella vowed to address the "day-to-day" concerns of French people if his party wins an outright majority in the second round of voting on Sunday.
Bardella also said he aims for an "absolute majority" and called on party supporters to "remain mobilized."
There remains another torrid week of campaigning before the decisive final voting on Sunday.
AP video by Alex Turnbull
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