Kylian Mbappé calls first round of French elections ‘catastrophic’ after country’s lurch to the far-right

Soccer star Kylian Mbappé has called the first round of French elections “catastrophic” after last Sunday’s results saw the country lurch towards the far-right with anti-immigration party National Rally (RN) leading first place.

Soccer star Kylian Mbappé has called the first round of French elections “catastrophic” after last Sunday’s results saw the country lurch towards the far-right with anti-immigration party National Rally (RN) leading first place. The captain for France’s national soccer team, who is preparing for Les Bleus’ Euro 2024 quarterfinal against Portugal in Hamburg on Friday, urged the French public to vote saying “now more than ever” it was needed. “There’s an emergency, we can’t let our country in the hands of these people, it’s really urgent,” Mbappe said at a media conference in Hamburg, Germany. President Emmanuel Macron’s shock announcement in June to call snap parliamentary elections plunged France into political uncertainty and has roiled financial markets, with the far right having a shot at real political power. After a high turnout at the polls, last Sunday the RN clinched 33.15% of the vote, while the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) coalition came second and President Emmanuel Macron’s party slumped to third. If the RN assumes power, it would become the first far-right party to enter the French government since World War II – although nothing is certain ahead of Sunday’s second round.