STORY: Opponents of France's National Rally stepped up their bid to block the far-right party of Marine Le Pen from power on Tuesday as more than 200 candidates agreed to pull out of this weekend's run-off election, according to local media reports.
The drop-outs include those who finished in third place in the first round of voting. And they are quitting the race as part of a strategy to create a "republican front" to block the anti-immigrant, Euroskeptic party.
Le Pen's party came out well ahead in Sunday's first-round vote after President Emmanuel Macron's gamble on a snap election backfired, leaving his centrist camp in a lowly third place behind the National Rally and a hastily formed left-wing alliance.
Still, it was far from clear National Rally could win the 289 seats needed for a majority.
And that was before the coalition maneuvering of the last 24 hours.
But National Rally lawmakers, including Laure Lavalette, who won her race in the election's first round, remained confident.
"I think that the French are very disappointed with these dealings, these behind-the-scenes dealings, and I am convinced that we will obviously have the absolute majority to be able to truly change the daily lives of the French."
The "republican front" approach has worked before, such as in 2002 when voters of all stripes rallied behind Jacques Chirac to defeat Le Pen's father, Jean-Marie, in a presidential contest.
However, it is not certain voters these days are willing to follow guidance from political leaders on where to place their vote, while Marine Le Pen's efforts to soften the image of her party has made it less of a pariah for millions.
