A coalition of the French left that quickly united to defeat the advance of the far right parliamentary elections Sunday’s polls showed it won the most seats in parliament, but not a majority, a stunning result that threatens to plunge the country into political and economic turmoil.
Projections put President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance in second place, which is no longer in control of parliament, and the bruised far-right in third.
With no bloc able to secure a clear majority, France faces uncertainty that could roil markets and its economy, the second largest in the European Union, and cast a shadow of political instability over the economy. throw. Olympic Games in Paris opening in less than three weeks.
End result are not expected until late Sunday or early Monday in the highly volatile snap elections that redrew France’s political map before any votes were cast, pushing parties on the left to put aside their differences and unite as Macron just four weeks ago announced that he would dissolve parliament and call elections, in a huge gamble which the president hoped would strengthen his centrist alliance.
It doesn’t seem to have paid off for the deeply unpopular president. Projections predict that his alliance would no longer be the largest faction in parliament, possibly not by a long shot. Marine Le Pen’s National Rally Party significantly increased the number of seats it held, but fell far short of hopes of securing an outright majority that would have given France its first far-right government since World War II.
In Stalingrad Square in Paris, supporters of the left cheered and applauded as projections of the alliance ahead flashed on a giant screen. There were also shouts of joy in Republique Square in eastern Paris, where people spontaneously hugged strangers and enjoyed non-stop applause for several minutes after the projections landed.
Jordan BardellaLe Pen’s 28-year-old protégé, who had hoped to become prime minister, lamented that the vote’s outcome “throws France into the arms of the far left.”
The left-wing coalition’s most prominent leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, urged Macron to invite the New Popular Front coalition to form a government. The alliance, he said, “is ready to govern.”
If the predictions are confirmed by official figures, they will bring intense uncertainty for a pillar of the European Union, with no clarity over who could become prime minister – and the prospect that Macron will be forced to govern alongside someone opposed to the most of his domestic policy is. . The results will have an impact the war in Ukraineglobal diplomacy and the economic stability of Europe.
The poll projections are based on the actual number of votes in selected constituencies.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said he would resign but also said he would stay on on an interim basis through the Olympics or as long as necessary as weeks of negotiations could take to choose a new prime minister.
In a statement from his office, Macron indicated he would not rush to invite a potential prime minister to form a government. It said he would watch as the results came in and would wait for the new National Assembly to take shape before making “the necessary decisions,” all while respecting “the sovereign choice of the French.”
A hung parliament without any bloc approaching the 289 seats needed for an absolute majority in the National Assembly, the more powerful of France’s two legislative chambers, would be uncharted territory for modern France.
Unlike other countries in Europe that are more accustomed to coalition governments, France has no tradition of lawmakers from rival political camps coming together to form a majority.
Macron stunned France, and many in his own government, by subsequently dissolving parliament the far right rose in the French vote for the European elections in June.
Macron argued that sending voters back to the polls would provide France with “clarification”. The president hoped that, with the fate of France in their hands, voters might switch from the far right to the left and return to the mainstream parties closer to the center – where Macron found much of the support that won him in 2017 and again in 2022 won the presidency. He hoped this would strengthen his presidency for his remaining three years in office.
But instead of rallying behind him, millions of voters took his surprise decision as an opportunity to express their anger.
During last weekend’s first round of voting, voters backed the National Rally candidates in even greater numbers than when voting for the European Parliament. The coalition of left-wing parties finished in second place and its centrist alliance a distant third.
The sharp polarization of French politics – especially in this torrid and fast-paced campaign – will certainly complicate any attempt at coalition building. Racism and anti-Semitism marred the election campaign, together with Russian disinformation campaignsand more than fifty candidates reported being physically attacked – highly unusual for France. The government said it had deployed 30,000 police for Sunday’s second vote — an indication of both the high stakes and concern that a far-right victory, or even no clear victory for any bloc, could spark protests.
Any merged majority risks being fragile, vulnerable to votes of no confidence that could lead to a downfall.
Prolonged instability could increase suggestions from his opponents that Macron should shorten his second and final term. The French constitution prevents him from dissolving parliament again in the next 12 months, unless this is a way to possibly give France more clarity.
