France Elections: More Than 50 Violent Attacks Reported Ahead of Tense Final Round

With just days left until the final round of voting in France's election, the country has been marred by more than 50 violent attacks on candidates and activists, according to a senior government minister's warning. The heightened tensions have led to the deployment of 30,000 police officers to oversee the upcoming ballot, with 5,000 stationed in Paris alone. The country is on the verge of potentially handing the far-right its largest-ever parliamentary victory.

National Rally's Surge and Challenges

Recent polls indicate that Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella's National Rally is poised to win more seats than any other party. However, despite their initial lead, the party is projected to fall short of the 289 seats required for an absolute majority. In response to National Rally's significant performance in the first round of voting, there have been calls for a "republican front" to thwart the far-right's advancement.

As a result of these calls, 221 candidates, including 83 from the centrist Ensemble alliance backing President Emmanuel Macron and 132 from the left-wing New Popular Front, have withdrawn in an effort to strategically combat the far-right's influence in seats facing three-way battles. Despite Le Pen's assertion that a majority is still attainable through voter mobilization, recent polls have revised National Rally's projected seats to between 190 and 240, lower than prior to the republican front's withdrawals.

Warnings and Arrests

Amid these developments, France's Interior Minister, Mr. Darmanin, described the national mood as "on edge" and cautioned that more than 30 individuals had been arrested for campaign-related violence. He indicated that 51 candidates, substitutes, and activists had been physically assaulted, attributing the attacks to those who had "spontaneously become angry" or were affiliated with "ultra-left, ultra-right, or other political groups."

Government spokesperson Prisca Thevenot, her deputy Virginie Lanlo, and an Ensemble activist were among those attacked when they confronted a group defacing their campaign posters in southwest Paris. Recounting the incident, Ms. Thevenot shared that the activist sustained a broken jaw and injuries from being punched and struck with a scooter, while Ms. Lanlo suffered an arm injury. Meanwhile, National Rally candidate Marie Dauchy reported being violently attacked while campaigning near Grenoble, and the deputy mayor of a nearby town was punched in the face while putting up a poster for former Macron spokesperson, Olivier Veran.

Politicians from across the political spectrum have denounced the attacks, with Prime Minister Gabriel Attal urging the rejection of the escalating climate of violence and hatred.