France’s national team captain, Kylian Mbappe, emphasized the critical importance of voting in the second round of the country’s legislative elections after the far-right National Rally emerged as the leading party in the first round last weekend.
“We need to get out and vote more than ever. We can’t let our country be controlled by these people,” Mbappe stated during a press conference in Hamburg, ahead of France’s Euro 2024 quarter-final match against Portugal on Friday. “It’s really urgent. The results we’ve seen are disastrous. I hope things change, and everyone goes out and votes for the right people.”
The second round of voting is scheduled for Sunday, with the National Rally (RN) aiming to secure a majority of the 577 seats in France’s National Assembly. Should they succeed, their 28-year-old leader, Jordan Bardella, would become the country’s prime minister.
However, recent polls suggest that the RN will likely fall short of achieving total victory, as centrist and left-wing factions are forming local alliances to counter the far-right’s ascent.
Mbappe has been a prominent voice within the French team at the Euros, speaking out against the far-right. “This is a crucial moment in our country’s history, an unprecedented situation,” Mbappe, 25, remarked before France’s opening match at the tournament last month. He also expressed his stance, saying he was “against extremes and divisive ideas.”