Despite a far-right surge, the left alliance in France secured the most seats in Sunday’s legislative elections, albeit they could not achieve a majority.
After obtaining the most seats and preventing a far-right surge, a coalition of the French left won the crucial legislative elections on Sunday. But when the coalition failed to secure a majority, France—a major player in the European Union (EU) and the country hosting the forthcoming Olympic Games—was left to deal with the unpleasant possibility of a hung parliament and possible impasse in politics.
The surprising result of the election has serious ramifications for international diplomacy, the war in Ukraine, and the stability of the European economy. It also threatens markets and the second-largest economy in the EU, France.
Official Results Made Public
President Emmanuel Macron had hoped that the election would bring much-needed clarity. He had called for the poll on June 9 following the extreme right’s surge in the European Parliament elections. But it seems that this political risk has backfired.
Official results, which were made public early on Monday, showed that none of the three major blocs won the 289 seats necessary to take control of the National Assembly, France’s more powerful legislative body, which has 577 lawmakers.
Macron’s centrist alliance received more than 160 seats, but the leftist coalition of the New Popular Front gained slightly more than 180 seats. With more than 140 seats, Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally and its allies secured third place, greatly surpassing their previous best of 89 seats in 2022.
For Modern France, A Hung Parliament Is An Uncharted Terrain.
“Our country is facing an unprecedented political situation and is preparing to welcome the world in a few weeks,” Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said, emphasizing the situation’s uniqueness. Later in the day, Attal announced his intention to step down, but he said he would be willing to st
ay on “as long as duty demands.” Political unpredictability is especially critical in light of the approaching Olympics in Paris.
Despite not having an absolute majority, the president’s centrist alliance had been the largest group in the outgoing National Assembly, and Attal made no secret of his displeasure with Macron’s decision to dissolve it. This attracted the support of different MPs and made governance possible.
While The Right’s Ascent Worries, The Left’s Win Brings Joy.
Projections showing their partnership caused celebrations among communist sympathizers in Stalingrad Plaza and Republique Plaza in Paris. Medical secretary Marielle Castry spoke of the tangible relief on the Metro upon hearing the results. “Everyone was ecstatic when they received the results and had their smartphones out,” the woman remarked.
The election has already drastically changed the political landscape in France, bringing together leftist parties into a new coalition that intends to undo many of Macron’s policies, dramatically raise public expenditure, and take a more aggressive attitude towards Israel in light of the Hamas conflict. Macron denounced the coalition of the left as “extreme” and forewarned of the possible devastation to the economy that their policies would cause. Attempts to build a stable government are likely to be hampered by the severe division of French politics, which has been made worse by the short and intense campaign. Racism, antisemitism, Russian disinformation tactics, and claims of physical attacks on more than 50 candidates—an uncommon event in France—marred the election process.
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