French voters line up to vote in the European elections, June 9, 2024 at the French Consulate. (Credit: Matthieu Karam)
While on a national scale in France, the National Rally came out on top with over 30 percent of French voters choosing the far right in the European elections held on Sunday, in Lebanon, French voters hoisted La France Insoumise into first place, according to results published on Monday morning.
Jean-Luc Melenchon's far-left party garnered just over 33 percent of the French vote in Lebanon, or 850 votes. Of the 18,877 registered at the French embassy in Lebanon, 2,591 had turned out to elect France's 81 of the 720 MEPs who will sit in the European Parliament for five years, according to figures from the French Ministry of the Interior.
The Republicans (right-wing) party led by Francois-Xavier Bellamy came second among French voters in Lebanon, with almost 16.97 percent of the vote (436 voters) – whereas it came fifth in France with almost 8 percent of total voters. While Valerie Hayer's list (Renaissance Party) came second in France, among French voters in Lebanon, the list of French President Emmanuel Macron's party came fourth, with just over 10 percent (266 votes). Raphael Glucksman's list (Parti Socialiste-Place Publique) came sixth, while in France as a whole it came third (6.89 percent for 177 votes).
Faced with the historic victory of the far right in the European elections, Macron announced on Sunday, June 9, that new early legislative elections would be held. The first round will take place on June 30 and the second on July 7.
This article originally appeared in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.
