François Hollande, France’s Socialist president, is in sight of winning an all-important parliamentary majority with the support of the Greens, according to projections following the first round of elections for the National Assembly yesterday.
Mr Hollande’s centre-left Socialist party and its closest allies won 35 per cent of the first-round vote, neck and neck with the centre-right UMP of Nicolas Sarkozy, the former president defeated by Mr Hollande last month, according to projections by independent pollsters.
But together the Socialists and the Greens, which have 5 per cent of the vote according to exit polls, were estimated to be likely to surpass the 289 seats needed for a majority in the 577-seat assembly. The second round takes place on June 17, when the leading contenders in constituencies where no candidate won more than 50 per cent in the first round face a run-off contest.