FRENCH EURO 2024 star Jules Kounde, who was awarded player of the match after his team secured a place in the quarter finals this evening, has said he was disappointed with the results of the first round of voting in France’s parliamentary elections.

Kounde called on voters in the country to block the far-right National Rally party from winning a majority in the snap parliamentary elections, ahead of the second round of voting next weekend.

The National Rally, a far-right, anti-immigrant, Eurosceptic party, came out on top in the first round of voting on Sunday with 33% of the vote, raising the prospect that they might take control of government.

Candidates in the running for the election must secure at least 12.5% of the vote from their constituencies to retain their place in the race in the first round. 

The remaining candidates then go through into the second round. In France there is one seat per constituency and often three or four people are left in the race after the first round.

The candidates with the highest percentage of votes after the second round are then elected to the National Assembly.

The National Rally’s success has left the centrist camp of President Emmanuel Macron and a left-wing alliance scrambling to stop such an outcome.

📢 🔴 🇫🇷 Jules Koundé appelle à "faire barrage à l'extrême droite et au Rassemblement National:

« J’ai été déçu de voir quelle direction notre pays prend (…) il y a un deuxième tour ça sera important de faire barrage à l’extrême droite. »#EUROS2024 #France #koundé pic.twitter.com/NOhvL2S5UZ

— Flashinfo (@Realnews829984) July 1, 2024

“Obviously I was disappointed to see the direction our country is taking with a big level of support for a party that is against our values of unity and respect, and that wants to divide the French people,” Kounde, the 25-year-old Barcelona defender, said.

“But there is a second round to come, nothing is decided yet, and I think it will be important to block the far right and the National Rally,” he added.

“They will not lead our country to more liberty and unity. That is my position.”

The National Rally are keen to secure a majority in the parliament after the second round of voting.

But projections have shown that National Rally may not win an absolute majority, something the party’s president, 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, said would be necessary for him to take the role of prime minister.

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Left-wing and centrist parties however are still attempting to form voting pacts ahead of next weekend’s vote in order to block the progression of the National Rally. 

A hung parliament could be the result of the second round and would lead to at least a year of parliamentary stalemate as French law prohibits holding new elections until a year after the last vote.

Kounde, who had already expressed such a view on social media ahead of the first round, is one of several France players to have spoken out against the far-right during the tournament in Germany.

Marcus Thuram, captain Kylian Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni have also positioned themselves against extremist parties.

- © AFP 2024, with reporting by Muiris O’Cearbhaill and David MacRedmond.