France’s National Rally says it will lead government only with absolute majority

Jordan Bardella, centre left, president of the far-right National Rally party, arrives at the party headquarters in Paris (Thibault Camus/AP)

The star president of France’s National Rally will take the helm of government only if the party wins an absolute majority in Sunday’s second round of legislative elections, the leading far-right figure Marine Le Pen said on Tuesday.

The National Rally, under party president Jordan Bardella, secured the most votes in the first round of the surprise legislative elections on June 30 but not enough to claim overall victory.