PARIS: A coalition of France’s left-wing parties thrown together for snap parliamentary elections was on course on Sunday to become the biggest parliamentary bloc and defeat the far-right, according to shock projected results.
The New Popular Front (NFP), forged just weeks ago in response to President Emmanuel Macron’s call for early elections, has united socialists, greens, communists, and the hard-left under a single banner.
Initial forecasts following the June 30 first round indicated a lead for Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN), with expectations of her party securing a significant presence in Parliament after the run-off on Sunday.
However, projections based on early voting samples from four major polling agencies, obtained by AFP, suggest that no single group is on track to achieve an absolute majority. Instead, the left-leaning NFP is positioned ahead of both Macron’s centrist Ensemble coalition and Le Pen’s eurosceptic, anti-immigration RN.
Estimates suggest the NFP could secure between 172 to 215 seats, with Macron’s alliance projected to claim 150 to 180 seats. Meanwhile, the National Rally, which had aspired for a commanding majority, is now expected to secure 115 to 155 seats, placing it in a surprising third position.
While this outcome marks a significant electoral achievement for the far-right, it falls short of the decisive victory that would have been seen as a rebuke to Macron’s leadership. Macron had justified the snap elections as a measure to counteract France’s drift towards political extremes.
Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the hard-left France Unbowed party, reacting to the projections, called for Prime Minister Gabriel Attal’s resignation and expressed readiness of the left-wing coalition to take on governance.
As Macron prepares to attend the upcoming NATO summit in Washington, his political standing remains diminished amid uncertainties over France’s governing majority less than three weeks before Paris hosts the Olympics.
The election campaign, characterized as the shortest in French history, has been marked by heightened tensions, threats, and instances of violence, including racist attacks against various candidates and campaigners.
Despite these challenges, voter turnout was robust, with left-wing and centrist candidates urging supporters to uphold democratic values and the rule of law. Concurrently, the far-right leveraged populist sentiments, aiming to disrupt the established political order.
In response to these developments, more than 200 tactical-voting agreements were orchestrated last week between center and left-wing candidates, reminiscent of the anti-far-right “Republican Front” strategy employed in previous elections.
The immediate question facing France now is whether this coalition of necessity can effectively support a stable government amidst a sizable RN presence in parliament, led by Le Pen as she eyes a presidential bid in 2027.
Should no coalition emerge, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal may be compelled to lead a minority government, as per French regulations which prohibit the dissolution of parliament and fresh elections within 12 months.
