France's President Macron's middle alliance and the left-wing alliance NFP are urging their voters to stand united against Le Pen's party RN.
Over 200 candidates have already withdrawn in an attempt to put obstacles in the way of the far-right party ahead of the second round of voting on Sunday.
Following the far-right's success in the first round of the parliamentary election, President Emmanuel Macron is calling for a united front to stop Le Pen's National Rally (RN) from getting the most votes – and thus becoming the first nationalist party in power since the Nazi occupation of Germany.
Ahead of the second round of voting on Sunday, left-wing and middle candidates who came in third place in their constituencies are being urged to withdraw to avoid splitting the opposition to the far-right.
Urged to withdraw
This concerns over 300 constituencies where three candidates have gone through to the second round. According to Le Monde, 218 candidates from these districts had withdrawn by the deadline. Almost all of them are urging their voters to vote for the candidate who has the greatest chance of beating National Rally in the decisive round.
National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen and her 28-year-old protégé Jordan Bardella, has secured over half of the 76 seats decided in the first round.
Le Pen wants a majority
We cannot accept going into government if we cannot act, Le Pen repeats in an interview with the TV company France Inter, adding that it would be "the worst betrayal of our voters".
If we have, say, 270 seats, we need 19 more. Then we will go to the others and ask them if they are ready to join a new majority with us. If we then have a majority, we can do what the voters elected us for, she says.
Now a second round of voting is waiting in 501 of the 577 constituencies. After the withdrawals, barely 100 so-called triangular dramas remain.
