PARIS — France could see civil unrest and violence that is related to the elections, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Monday (June 24) as campaigning enters its last week before the first round of voting.

"It's possible that there will be extremely strong tensions," Darmanin told RTL radio, adding that authorities were preparing for a "highly inflammable" situation, with the vote taking place less than a month before the Paris 2024 Olympics.

"The people says 'no' to the Parisians, to the elites with their diplomas", Darmanin told RTL radio.

President Emmanuel Macron, who shocked the nation with a decision to dissolve the National Assembly earlier this month, is not on the ballot, but for many voters, the election is perceived as a referendum on the fate of a president once seen as a able to overcome political divisions, but whose approval ratings collapsed after several political crises.

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