PARIS, June 29 (AFP): Voting got underway in France's overseas territories on Saturday in high-stakes snap parliamentary elections, which could change the country's trajectory and see the far-right party of Marine Le Pen take power in a historic first.
Residents of the tiny French archipelago of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, located off the coast of Canada, began casting their ballots in the first round of elections from 1000 GMT.
They will be followed by voters in France's islands in the Caribbean and the South American territory of French Guiana. Voting will later start in territories in the Pacific and then in the Indian Ocean before it gets underway on the mainland on Sunday.
Elections for the 577 seats in the lower house National Assembly are a two-round process. The shape of the new parliament will become clear after the second round a week later, on July 7.
With Russia's war against Ukraine in its third year and energy and food prices soaring, support for the anti-immigration and eurosceptic National Rally party has surged.
Tense France goes to polls
FE Team | Published: June 29, 2024 21:49:45
Tense France goes to polls
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