• Three weeks ago, following EU elections where the far right won in a landslide, Macron dissolved parliament and called a snap election
• His bet was likely that the left could not unite in so little time, and he would pose as the only credible alternative against the far right
• the bet blew in his face: the left united, and the right fractured. As a result, he spent a lot of time demonizing the left and the far right
• National media, which is mostly behind the interest of a few very rich elites, spent a lot of time demonizing the left and inviting the far right
• Today, after the first round of voting, the far right got ~34% of all votes, the united left ~28%, and Macron's party 20%
• The way french legislative elections work, a lot of seats are in a triangular run-off: three candidates are left for the second round, usually from Macron's party, the far right, and the united left
• Estimations are shaky because of those triangular run-offs, but the far right could, at the very worst, graze the absolute majority in parliament. More likely, it will represent more than a third of MPs