There is anticipation both inside and outside France for the second round of early legislative elections, which began today, Saturday, in overseas territories and will start on French soil tomorrow, Sunday. The country has entered a phase of election silence prior to the elections, which will either put France under the control of the far-right or lead to unprecedented political chaos and paralysis if no party or coalition achieves an absolute majority to form a government.
In an effort to confront the far-right and contain the possibility of it obtaining this majority, more than 200 candidates from the left and center, which support President Emmanuel Macron, withdrew in favor of others, aiming to block the path of the National Rally candidates led by Marine Le Pen, who are seeking an absolute majority in the early legislative elections. Le Pen condemned this action, pointing out the formation of a "single party" that gathers "those wanting to remain in power against the will of the people." Meanwhile, National Rally leader Jordan Bardella stated, "Either the National Rally secures an absolute majority and I can start my revival project from Sunday, or the country will enter a state of paralysis." However, what the "National Rally" aspires to in obtaining an absolute majority seems nearly impossible, as recent opinion polls indicate that the far-right party and its allies will secure between 210 and 240 seats in the National Assembly, while the absolute majority is 289 seats. The left-wing coalition, the New Popular Front, is expected to secure between 170 and 200 seats, whereas polls suggest that President Macron's centrist party will obtain between 95 and 125 seats.
**Bardella: The Youngest Prime Minister of France?**
Jordan Bardella is helping to steer the National Rally party towards its first real opportunity to reach power and is the fresh face of a party that has sought to improve its image and expand its popularity in recent years. At 28, Bardella owes his initial rise to a gamble by Le Pen, who aimed to breathe new life into her party when she made the then-unknown 23-year-old Bardella the National Rally's lead candidate in the 2019 European election. This gamble paid off.
If the party wins a majority in the parliamentary elections tomorrow, Sunday, Bardella, as the leader of the National Rally, would become the youngest Prime Minister of France. Despite polls suggesting that a majority is unlikely, he stated that it is a condition of his acceptance of the premiership. Nevertheless, the party still seems to be on track to win a majority of the votes. Bardella is widely seen as a potential future Prime Minister if the National Rally remains at the forefront. According to interviews with six people who know him, Bardella's rise is partly attributed to his rare political talents. However, they also noted that it is due to the increasing efficiency with which the party is being managed as it seeks to shed its long-standing reputation for racism and anti-Semitism.
Bardella grew up in the poor, multi-ethnic Seine-Saint-Denis area north of Paris and stated that his experience as the son of a hardworking single mother from Italy motivated him to enter politics. Bardella initially joined the youth wing of the National Rally. Mathilde Androït, a Member of the European Parliament from the National Rally who met the young Bardella in 2012 and 2013, noted that his potential was apparent even then, when they became friends. She described Bardella as "a very organized person, almost passionate about it."
During the election campaign, Bardella repeated his slogan "a hand that will not tremble," pledging to reduce immigration through increased deportations and border control. He also called for cuts to social welfare payments for families with young people who have a history of committing crimes.
