France votes as far-right National Rally hopes to make history

Last week, on a hot evening in Meaux, east of Paris, one of LFI’s most senior figures, Mathilde Panot told supporters they were “the only focus of resistance” remaining to the rise of the far right, accusing the Macron alliance of opening the gates of power to RN.

“We’re not extreme, what is extreme is Mr Macron’s extreme liberalism which has brought about the rise of the extreme right,” she told the BBC.

The New Popular Front also includes more moderate parties, including the Socialists and the Greens, whose leader Marine Tondelier has called for a unified stance to stop Mr Bardella becoming prime minister.

Some of France’s best-known young stars have urged voters to steer clear of the extremes, from NBA sensation Victor Wembanyama and football captain Kylian Mbappé to YouTube influencer Squeezie.

But the divisions between the parties are deep and the time extremely short for any concerted action to keep RN at bay.

“I worry for our country,” said Aurélie, outside a market in Le Plessis Bouchard, to the north of Paris. She is unimpressed by the nationalist policies RN has. “Patriotism isn’t nationalism, it’s not the same.”