Votes for the French parliamentary election

CONFLANS SAINTE-HONORINE/TOURS/CHANTILLY, France (Reuters) – Here are some views from some voters on Sunday’s French parliamentary election, in which the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) could become the dominant political force.

Centrist President Emmanuel Macron called a new election after his candidate was soundly defeated by the RN in last month’s European elections, a move he apparently wanted to catch the party off guard.

“I am angry with the government and especially with the president for taking this irresponsible risk,” said Frederic Maillard, a doctor from the central French city of Tours.

“The country is confronted with three radically opposing images of society,” said pensioner Olivier Grisal as he walked with his wife to his polling station in the middle-class town of Conflans Sainte-Honorine west of Paris.

Ranaivoatisan Voahirana, who works in the medical sector, said she voted for the government candidate but was “almost certain” that the Rassemblement National would win.

“People don’t bother to hide their racism anymore,” she said.

Long considered a pariah by many due to its racist and anti-Semitic past, the RN has sought to improve its image and denies accusations of racism. Its program capitalizes on voters’ anger at Macron over tight budgets, security and immigration concerns.

“We have to change the clocks,” said 21-year-old Dorian Garro, who works as a cook. He added that his vote was motivated primarily by a desire for more law and order. “Macron has done nothing to improve security.” Garro declined to say who he voted for.

Youssef Mahmoud, 33, who works in a Paris bank, also declined to comment on his party affiliation, but added that he was against the anti-immigration views of the far right: “Just because you are an immigrant does not necessarily mean that you are taking money from the state. If they want to restrict immigration, then let them, but don’t complain afterwards.”

In Chantilly, a town north of Paris, voter Jean-Charles Grasset said: “We live in a democracy. And if voters choose a party from the far right or the far left, that must be respected. The president saw the rise of extremes and decided to give people the opportunity to express themselves.”

Construction worker Frederic Wallet said he would cast a blank ballot because he could not identify with any of the options offered.

“Good luck, France, it will be chaos,” he said.

(Reporting by Tassilo Hummel, Ingrid Melander, Imad Creidi; editing by Frances Kerry and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)