Monday Briefing: A crushing projected victory for France’s far right

Plus Boston's googly-eyed trains.

View in browser|nytimes.com July 1, 2024 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering elections in France and Iran, and President Biden's next steps. Plus: Boston's googly-eyed trains. Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally, as results came in yesterday. Francois Lo Presti/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images France's far right surges in the polls The National Rally party won a crushing victory in the first round of voting for the French National Assembly, according to early projections, bringing its long-taboo brand of nationalist, anti-immigrant politics to the brink of power. Final results from the Interior Ministry are expected to be released today. Pollster projections, which are normally reliable, suggested that the far-right party would take about 34 percent of the vote, ahead of a coalition of left-wing parties, which was projected to take about 29 percent of the vote, and President Emmanuel Macron's centrist Renaissance party and its allies, which was in third place with about 22 percent. Turnout was high at about 67 percent, compared with 47.5 percent in the first round of the last parliamentary election in 2022. The two-round election will be completed with a runoff this coming Sunday between the leading parties in each constituency. The National Rally now looks very likely to be the largest force in the lower house, if not necessarily with an absolute majority. What's next: If a new majority of lawmakers opposed to Macron is ushered in, he will be forced to appoint a political adversary as prime minister. If no clear majority emerges, the country could be headed for months of political turmoil. Here are takeaways from the vote. Analysis: Both France and the U.S. face nationalist forces that could undo their international commitments and pitch the world into uncharted territory, writes Roger Cohen, our Paris bureau chief. Voting in Tehran on Friday. Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times Iran's election moves to a runoff Iranian voters used the country's presidential election on Friday to signal their discontent with its system of clerical rule, trudging to the polls in record-low numbers to help two candidates limp to a runoff. The final choice will be between a reformist former health minister, Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, and an ultraconservative former nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili. Neither won more than 50 percent of the vote, which means it will take a runoff on Friday to establish who will tackle challenges like Iran's struggling economy and the risk of a wider conflict in the Middle East. The campaign was notable for how openly the candidates attacked the status quo, but the turnout reflected pessimism that a new president could effect change: They must govern with the ultimate approval of Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Go deeper: Here's more about the initial candidates, and these are four takeaways from the election. President Biden on Saturday with the first lady, Jill Biden, and two of their granddaughters. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times Biden's family strategizes at Camp David As they huddled at Camp David this weekend, President Biden's family urged him to stay in the race despite Democratic anxiety about his disastrous debate performance, insiders said. While Biden's relatives were acutely aware of how poorly he did against Donald Trump, they argued that he could still show the country that he remains capable of serving another term. As he considers how to proceed, Biden's advisers have been discussing whether he should hold a news conference or sit for interviews to defend himself and change the narrative, but nothing has been decided. The campaign scheduled what could be a critical call with its national fund-raising committee today to calm nerves and take temperatures. Strategy: The White House has sought to portray Biden's poor showing last week as a blip. Critics say the approach risks making the campaign seem woefully out of touch. In Israel: People feared that the shaky performance could spur on the country's Middle Eastern foes at what many view as a critical time for American leadership in the region. MORE TOP NEWS Audu Marte/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Nigeria: At least 18 people were killed and dozens were wounded in a series of suicide bombings on Saturday afternoon, local officials said. West Bank: Israel said that it would legalize five settlements the country previously considered unlawful. Afghanistan: Taliban officials attended a U.N.-led conference of global envoys to the country, but only after Afghan women were excluded. Borders: India and China have troops along an unmarked, contested boundary in some of the world's most inhospitable terrain. A dangerous conflict could result. Lebanon: The U.S. is in the midst of an intense diplomatic push to prevent full-on war between Israel and Hezbollah. U.K. elections: Ahead of this week's vote, many young people in the northern English cities of Liverpool and Manchester say they feel disillusioned by politics. Business: The U.S. Justice Department plans to offer Boeing a plea deal over its 737 Max plane. A lawyer for families of victims of two fatal crashes said the deal falls short. War in Ukraine Airstrikes: Moscow has maintained a punishing pace of attacks on Ukrainian cities, leaving dozens of civilians dead. Motorbikes and mayhem: Russian troops have used motorcycles and dune buggies to storm trenches, often driving into a hail of gunfire. Escape: A young Nepali, facing grim job prospects, joined the Russian Army. Getting out turned into a tale worthy of Hollywood. SPORTS NEWS European Championship: We rate the style choices of all 24 managers at the tournament. (See the latest updates and results.) On the streets of Bilbao: The Basque region of Spain has long been uninterested in the national soccer team. Can a squad studded with Basque stars turn heads? Cricket: India won the T20 Cricket World Cup, ending a dry spell of over a decade. Wimbledon: Andy Murray, the last British man to win the tournament, will bid farewell to it. MORNING READ Matthew Brandt for The New York Times Francesca Mari's dad always remembered the journey he took through Europe when he was 14 — Switzerland and Italy, Lugano and Naples. Now, with Alzheimer's claiming his memories, the pair tried to recreate it. Wandering the alleys of Como, he exclaimed that the cobblestones resembled "embedded eggs." "A perfect description," Francesca writes. "We were a father and daughter navigating the world on indestructible eggshells." CONVERSATION STARTERS Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Boston's googly-eyed trains: The city's trains may not always be reliable. But they can at least make commuters smile. Dancing to freedom: Ballet was foremost in the mind of Mikhail Baryshnikov when he defected from the Soviet Union in 1974. Read an interview with the dance luminary here. Heiress to RuPaul's crown: The drag queen Pabllo Vittar has become an A-list pop star and L.G.B.T.Q. activist in Brazil. Can she conquer the world? Fancy fruit: Extremely expensive produce, like a $396 pineapple with a red skin, has long been popular in parts of Asia. Now it is finding a market in the U.S. ARTS AND IDEAS Netflix Japan's first queer dating show Next week, Netflix is introducing Japan's first same-sex reality dating series, "The Boyfriend," which follows nine men living in a luxury beach house outside Tokyo. Though public sentiment in Japan has moved toward support for gay and transgender people, the country lags other wealthy democracies in L.G.B.T.Q. rights. The format of the show evokes Japan's most popular romantic reality show, "Terrace House": wholesome, mostly chaste and with as much focus on friendship and self-improvement as on romance. Dai Ota, the show's executive producer, said he wanted to "portray same-sex relationships as they really are," as opposed to the exaggerated, stereotypical gay characters often depicted on Japanese television. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Johnny Miller for The New York Times Cook: Grapefruit and honey take this miso salmon to a new level. Read: "All the Worst Humans," a memoir by a spin doctor for dictators and other malefactors, explores journalism's shadow side. Appreciate: Enumerating the things you admire about yourself can be affirming, not conceited, writes Melissa Kirsch. Listen: Eddie Murphy spoke with my colleague David Marchese for the Interview podcast. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. Thank you for starting your week with The Times. — Natasha P.S. Over the last decades, dogs have gone from an academic afterthought to the new "it" animal for research, Emily Anthes writes in The Morning. Reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018