The first round of the French parliamentary elections has officially started. On the small French archipelago of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon off the east coast of Canada, the first three polling stations opened on Saturday afternoon (8 a.m. local time), as a spokeswoman for the town hall in Saint-Pierre confirmed to the German Press Agency.

The majority of French people can vote on Sunday. Because of the time difference, voting in some overseas territories will already take place on Saturday.

Shortly after President Emmanuel Macron was re-elected for a second term, the French are electing a new parliament. The 577 seats of the National Assembly are voted on. For the center politician Macron, it is about securing a parliamentary majority again. Otherwise he would be forced to appoint a government with politicians and a prime minister from other camps.

In this case, the prime minister would have a much more important position in the state. In particular, the new left-wing alliance of the Left Party, Socialists, Greens and Communists, led by left-wing politician Jean-Luc Mélenchon, is hoping for significantly more seats in parliament.