HAMBURG, Germany (AP) — France soccer captain Kylian Mbappé said the election results in his nation were “catastrophic” as it lurches closer to a first far-right government since World War II.
The National Rally gained strong results — around 33% of the vote nationwide — in the first round of a rushed election. The second round of the legislative elections are on Sunday, with Marine Le Pen’s party poised to potentially gain power.
Mbappé said on Thursday that people needed to go out to vote “now, more than ever” because it was a “pressing” situation.
“We cannot let our country fall into the hands of these people,” he said through a translator.
Mbappé was speaking ahead of France’s match against Portugal in the European Championship quarterfinals in Hamburg on Friday.
___
AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024
