Editorial: Le Monde

• The National Rally (RN), an extreme-right party, is the only one that could possibly win absolute majority in the legislative elections.
• Republican parties have opposed a united front to prevent vote dispersion from leading to RN's election.
• The Parliament's dissolution by the president after losing the European elections has been left to the judgement of voters.
• Marine Le Pen has criticised party alliances as denials of democracy, yet they are in line with the republican nature.
• The support for Le Pen's party does not represent the entire French people or the vast majority of its citizens.
• French democratic freedoms and minority rights would be under threat if the far right should come to power.
• A radical shift in French policy would be awaited by leaders such as Hungary's Viktor Orban and Russia's Vladimir Putin.

Conclusion: The possible rise of RN to power seriously threatens French democracy and international cooperation, especially in the fight against climate change. The challenge now is to stand firm as citizens and reject the advance of the far right.

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