record turnout. It hasn’t happened since –

Polls are open until 6:00 p.m. in most municipalities. In large cities, however, operations will continue until 7:00 p.m. and in some cases until 8:00 p.m. According to forecasts, Marine Le Pen, who in the latest polls seemed far from an absolute majority, will still be the country’s leading force. Meanwhile, confirmation has arrived on turnout. At 5:00 p.m., the participation rate in the second round of the French legislative elections was 59.71%. This is a record that the country has not reached since 1981. This was announced by the French Ministry of the Interior. The final turnout for the second round, however, is estimated at 67% by the institutes Ipsos and Opinionway, 67.1% by Elabe and 67.5% by Ifop, compared to 66.7% in the first round.

For fear of unrest, 30,000 police and gendarmerie officers have been deployed throughout the country. In Paris, the Prefecture banned a rally in front of the National Assembly called by the anti-fascist collective Paris banlieu. The scenario predicted by the polls, if confirmed, might be that of a government of national unity, with an alliance of centrist forces led by Macron’s supporters, which however would have too few deputies. It is unlikely that an agreement will be reached between the New Popular Front and the outgoing majority. Furthermore, the hypothesis of a technical government is not very feasible because it is far from the culture of the Fifth Republic, while Macron’s resignation is even less likely.