French parties race against a deadline to block the far-right as the future of their country’s democracy hangs in the balance.
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00:00France's far-right leader Marine Le Pen said the national rally will only take the helm of government if they win an absolute majority.
00:07Prime Minister candidate Jordan Bardella and his far-right party were strengthened by success in the first round of voting in the French legislative elections last weekend, with the final deciding vote being cast this Sunday.
00:20It's obvious that we can't accept going to government if we can't act. What our voters ask us to do is to change the policy that is being pursued.
00:31If we can't change it, and if we accept going to government only to sit in a minister's chair but not to be able to act, it would be, I think, the worst betrayal we could do to our voters.
00:47French President Emmanuel Macron's centrist party and a hastily united left-wing coalition are manoeuvring to prevent the far-right national rally from taking power in the country's parliament.
00:59Despite the alliance against the far-right, Bardella could profit from public resentment towards Macron.
01:06His lack of experience and even competence should be a deterrent for voters.
01:11There seems to be such a huge detestation of Emmanuel Macron and his politics right now that voters think there is a chance to change that, to really shake the system.
01:23And people who are disaffected by current politics that they were done think, well, we've not tried this.
01:31Candidates face the deadline to register for the second round of high-stakes snap legislative elections or withdraw.
01:38If united, they might yet block the national rally's path to power this weekend.