French President Emmanuel Macron’s struggle to contain his party’s free-fall in the polls, and the mobilisation of National Front supporters to reaffirm the triumphant momentum of Marie Le Pen’s party as well as the Socialists struggling to recover appear to have played their part in the slight increase in French voter turnout at the European elections polls.

Two and a half hours before the polls close, the early picture shows that voter turnout could even reach a 30-year high. Specifically, by 5 pm, 45.26% of registered voters had turned out to vote, up about two points from the 2019 turnout at the same time. With election analysts estimating that the level of participation is on track to reach its highest point at least since 1999.

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Voter turnout in France stands at 49.5 million and 81 MEPs will be elected, with early estimates suggesting that if the polls are confirmed, the National Front will form the largest purely national parliamentary group in the new European Parliament, electing over 30 MEPs.

The polls will close at 21.00 Greek time when the first official estimates of the election result will be released.

French President Emmanuel Macron voted earlier in the day in Le Touquet, a tourist destination on the country’s northern coast where he has a private house with his wife.