On the last day of voting before Sunday’s first round of parliamentary elections, France’s conservative National Rally (RN)grew its lead, in an opinion poll that put it close to a majority.

Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party has been ahead in the polls since President Emmanuel Macron called an unexpected election this month. The election has caused France to be uncertain and has scared its European neighbors and the financial markets.

Les Echos newspaper released a new Opinion Way poll on Friday that showed the National Rally could get as much as 37% of the vote. This is two percentage points more than the poll’s previous score from last week.

The expected vote total for Macron’s moderate Together party was 20%, which is two points less than the previous report. The left-wing group New Popular Front had the same 28% of the vote as before.

In a different poll put together by Elabe, BFM TV found that the RN and its allies could get between 260 and 295 seats in the new parliament. This would put them over the 289-seat threshold needed for an absolute majority, which would give them a clear mandate to rule.

It’s hard to make accurate seat projections because the outcome rests on how 577 constituencies across France vote. Also, after Sunday’s first round, candidates who are against the RN may work together to pull their names from the race in order to beat far-right candidates in the second round on July 7.

To win in the first round, a candidate needs to get an absolute majority of the votes cast as well as votes from at least 25% of the eligible voters in the district. It’s hard to do this, and most districts have to go to a second round of voting. The winner in the second round is the person who got the most votes.

The idea of either an RN-led government or a split parliament has scared the financial markets. On Friday, the risk premium on French government bonds rose to its highest level since the euro zone crisis in 2012.

If the National Rally won the election outright, they would have to “cohabit” with Macron for the rest of his term, until 2027. This would be the first time that a French president had to share power with a party that is not part of the major political party.

National Rally’s Anti – EU Views

The RN has toned down some of its anti-EU views and promised to be responsible with money, but it’s still not clear how it will pay for its election promises or what its strong doubts about the EU will mean for its future unity.

Racism is at the heart of the party’s “French first” policies, even though Le Pen is trying to clean up the party she received from her racist father, Jean-Marie.

In the last TV debate on Thursday, Macron’s Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said that his RN opponent Jordan Bardella was still letting racist speech happen in his far-right camp. Bardella denied the allegation.

The party has done well because people are angry at Macron. Macron’s choice to run for president in 2017 as the leader of a new, broad-based centrist movement changed French politics and was meant to stop the rise of radical parties.

People say that he made changes that were good for business, but many French voters think that he didn’t care about their worries about the rising cost of living and worsening public services.

Le Pen hinted at the kinds of fights that living together might cause on Friday when she said that an RN prime minister would block Macron’s choice for the French official at the European Commission in Brussels.

She told Europe 1 radio, “The prime minister, not the president, is the one who gets to choose the French commissioner.” A foreign source said Thursday that Macron backed Thierry Breton for a new term. Breton is a former businessman who now oversees the internal markets at the Commission.

Source: Reuters

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During a presidential Debate, one contender enjoyed a significant advantage over the other.

Donald Trump, a Republican, has been convicted of 34 felony counts and faces further serious charges in three other indictments.

As president, Trump selected three of the justices who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade and restrict abortion access in the United regions, sparking outrage even in conservative-leaning regions. And his ambitious second-term ambitions include threats of retaliation against political opponents from both major parties.

The main concern for President Joe Biden is whether he can effectively challenge Trump. Perhaps nothing is more important than the energy and strength that the Democratic incumbent exudes on stage.

Can Joe Biden perform?

Both individuals have obvious faults that provide their opponents with enormous opportunities and risks. They will face a massive national audience, many of whom will be watching their 2020 rematch for the first time and will not witness another discussion until September, accentuating each success or error.
Joe Biden and Trump will face off for 90 minutes on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET in an Atlanta CNN studio.

Joe Biden’s very low standard for success was set, at least in part, by Trump and his Republican allies, who have constantly criticized the Democratic president for seeming mistakes related to his age for years.

Trump’s allies have questioned Biden’s ability to stay awake and stand up for 90 minutes, despite Trump’s own gaffes during rallies. During the Republican primary, Trump mistook former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley for former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

He defended himself on Saturday. He told an audience on Saturday that liberals had misinterpreted what he described as a moment of “pure genius.”

Democrats are hoping that Biden would bring the same zeal he showed in his State of the Union address earlier this year. However, a live television debate with an opponent who enjoys verbal combat is very different from delivering a planned address before Congress.

Biden’s team understands that a disastrous night in front of the nation is not an option.

Navigating the criminal records

Having already secured his base, Trump has an opportunity to persuade persuadable swing voters and moderates who powered Biden’s triumph four years ago but now express reservations about both candidates.

To win over the so-called “double haters,” Trump can’t merely rely on the red meat talking points, personal insults, and conspiracy theories that usually dominate his public appearances.

Instead of talking about revenge or lying about the American electoral system, he’ll need to present a hopeful vision for the future and a clear contrast to Biden on typical kitchen-table concerns like health care and education.

He was harshly criticized for his antics at the first 2020 debate with Biden, badgering and interrupting the Democratic nominee. In their second debate, they discussed their opposing views on governance.

Can he stay disciplined on Thursday night? Some supporters remain hopeful. History may suggest differently.

Trump’s extensive legal history presents opportunities and risks for both candidates on stage.

In recent days, Joe Biden’s team has shown an increasing readiness to draw on Trump’s criminal background. Aside from a few remarks, Biden has mainly distanced himself from Trump’s prosecutions in order to avoid appearing to engage with politics.

Trump, who has been saying without evidence for years that Biden is responsible for his prosecution, will not make it simple for the president to follow suit.

According to recent research, almost 50% of adults in the United States support Trump’s conviction in New York. And even if people don’t find the specific convictions troubling, Trump’s attempt to conceal an alleged affair with a porn actress isn’t exactly bumper sticker worthy.

Meanwhile, Biden is mindful that Trump may target his son Hunter, as the then-president did at a debate four years ago. Hunter Biden was recently convicted on three felony offenses, including purchasing a gun while supposedly addicted to drugs. Trump has also questioned Hunter Biden’s international business dealings when his father was vice president.

As is typically the case, the moderators and ground rules will most likely influence the outcome of the debate. And the ground rules for this debate, the first of two planned gatherings, are peculiar.

It’s worth emphasizing that the candidates are depending on a set of mutually agreed-upon norms and conditions rather than the customary structure established by the Commission on Presidential Debates.

Joe Biden and Trump will debate in a CNN studio in Atlanta

Biden and Trump will debate in a CNN studio in Atlanta, with no audience. There will be no opening statement. Each candidate’s microphone will be silenced except when it is his turn to speak. No props or pre-written notes will be permitted on stage. Candidates will only be given a pen, a pad of paper, and a bottle of water.

A coin flip determined that Trump would make the last closing statement.

The event will be moderated by CNN’s Dana Bash and Jake Tapper, two well-known anchors who have not been afraid to call out Trump’s lies and conspiracy theories.

While Bash and Tapper have provided critical coverage of Joe Biden at times, Joe Biden’s campaign is undoubtedly hoping that they will take an active role in rejecting Trump’s probable falsehoods in real time. While Biden’s microphone will be muted while Trump speaks, the moderators’ microphones will not.

(VORNews) – The United Kingdom will hold elections on July 4 following Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s announcement of emergency elections on May 22.

The parties running for the 650 seats in the lower chamber of the UK Parliament, the chamber of Commons, have all produced manifestos outlining their positions on various topics, including immigration, the NHS, the economy, and the UK’s relationship with the EU.

In December 2019, Boris Johnson guided the reigning Conservative Party back to power in the UK’s most recent general election. Following Sunak’s declaration, the country entered a period known as “purdah,” during which time local governments and civil servants were prohibited from announcing any new projects or plans that might be perceived as favoring a specific political party. The parliament was dissolved on May 30.

However, Purdah does not prohibit political candidates from doing voter outreach events. In the run-up to the general election, these are the major political parties and the pledges they have made:

UK General Elections: Which are the Main Parties?

Conservatives

Alternatively referred to as the Tory Party or the Tories colloquially, or the Conservative and Unionist Party

Political alignment: center-right to right

Formed in: 1834

Manifesto: Reduce borrowing, debt, and taxes by 17.2 billion pounds ($22 billion) annually by 2029-30. Increase NHS funding above inflation and hire 92,000 more nurses and 28,000 new physicians. Increase defense expenditure to 2.5% of the GDP. Develop post-Brexit partnerships throughout Europe. Impose a binding limit for legal migration and expel asylum seekers who arrive in Rwanda via illegal methods.

Current leader: Rishi Sunak

Prime Minister David Cameron has been in power since 2010 (first five years in partnership with Liberal Democrats), followed by Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak.

Seats in House of Commons in outgoing parliament: 344

Support in recent polls: According to YouGov, the British public opinion and data monitoring organization, 20% of those questioned expect to vote Conservative on June 18. The Conservative Party got 43% of the popular vote in 2019.

Labour

Political alignment: center-left

Formed in: 1900

Manifesto: Instead of increasing taxes, create wealth and implement a new industrial strategy. Reduce waiting times in the NHS by doubling the number of cancer scanners and adding 40,000 extra medical appointments every week. Instead of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda, the government should strengthen border security and strengthen ties with Europe.

Current leader: Keir Starmer

Last in power: Gordon Brown and Tony Blair from 1997 to 2010.

Seats in House of Commons in outgoing parliament: 205

Support in latest polls: 36 percent. The party won 32 percent of the vote in 2019.

Liberal Democrats

Political alignment: center to center-left

Formed in 1988 by the merging of the Liberal Party, formed in 1859 and a major force during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and the Social Democratic Party.

Manifesto: Improve the relationship with the European Union. Concentrate on renewables. Increase the number of physicians and pay for caregivers. Increase defense expenditure to at least 2.5 percent of GDP annually. Scrap the Rwanda plan and end the bar on asylum seekers working. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, and hire a mental health expert in every school.

Current leader: Ed Davey

In power from 2010 until 2015 in a coalition with the Conservatives led by David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrats’ then-leader.

Seats in House of Commons in outgoing parliament: 15

Support in latest polls: 14 percent. In 2019, the party won 12 percent of the vote.

Greens

Political alignment: left-wing eco-politics

Formed in: 1990

Manifesto: Increase taxes on the affluent. Place railway, water, and energy industries under governmental administration. Increase the NHS funding. Cancel Trident, the United Kingdom’s nuclear deterrence program. Assist migrants in “putting down roots” by eliminating the minimum income criteria for spouses of work visa holders. Re-join the EU. Stop all new fossil fuel extraction and switch to wind and solar electricity. Remove university undergraduate fees.

Current leaders: Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay

Seats in the House of Commons in the outgoing parliament: one

Support in latest polls: 7 percent — a historic high. The party won 1 percent of the vote in 2019.

Reform UK’s

Political orientation: right-wing.

Formed in 2019 (as the Brexit Party).

Manifesto [or a pact with voters, as the party describes it]: Accelerate infrastructure initiatives. Remove bureaucracy by repealing employment rules that make it difficult for businesses to recruit and terminate employees. Reduce property taxes, lower taxes for frontline NHS and social care workers, and provide tax breaks for private healthcare. Recruit 30,000 more army personnel and boost defense expenditures. Detain and deport unauthorized immigrants. Remove the more than 6,700 EU rules that the UK kept after Brexit. Ban “transgender ideology” in classrooms.

Current leader: Nigel Farage.

Outgoing parliament has one seat in the House of Commons.

According to the most recent surveys, support is 18 percent. The Brexit Party received 2% of the vote in 2019.

Scottish National Party’s

Political orientation: center-left.

Formed in 1934.

Manifesto: Achieve Scottish independence from the United Kingdom. Protect the NHS against commercialization and austerity by increasing investment in hospitals, schools, train, and road infrastructure. Scrap Trident. Increase maternity pay. Re-join the EU. Scrap the Rwanda scheme. Demand an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.

Current leader: John Swinney.

In the previous session, the House of Commons had 43 seats.

In the most recent surveys, support is around 3 percent. It received 4% of the vote in 2019.

Plaid Cymru’s

Political allegiance: center-left to left wing.

Formed in 1925.

Manifesto: Gain independence for Wales. Establish equitable financing for Wales. Recruit 500 more general doctors. Increase child benefit payments by £20 ($25) each week. Rejoin the EU and the single market.

Current leader: Rhun ap Iorwerth.

In the previous session, the House of Commons had three seats.

The latest surveys show that support is 1 percent. It received 0.5% of the votes in 2019.

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