Election officials started counting votes across France on Sunday evening after French voters turned out in large numbers for the second round of parliamentary elections. France’s left-wing New Popular Front coalition won the most seats, putting them on track for an unexpected win over Marine Le Pen’s far right RN party but short of an absolute majority in parliament.
President Macron’s centrist bloc was seen narrowly ahead of RN in the battle for second place, according to polls.
The leader of far left party, France Unbowed (France Insoumise), Jean-Luc Melenchon said: “This evening, the National Rally is far from having the absolute majority the commentators predicted scarcely a week ago. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. It’s an immense relief for an overwhelming majority of people in our country, those who make up the New France as well as those who’ve always loved the country with a republican passion.”
French Green leader Marine Tondelier vowed to bring about “appeasement, social and environmental justice” in France, after a leftist alliance unexpectedly took the top spot ahead of the far right.
“Because yes, it is the immense hope created by this union of the left and environmentalists which is the major political event of this election. The New Popular Front was born here, in these premises, less than four weeks ago. It had to be done, it had to be done. And not only did we do it, but we won and now we will govern.”
There was stunned silence, clenched jaws and tears at the National Rally’s (RN) party headquarters, as the leftist alliance unexpectedly took the top spot in the legislative elections, ahead of the far right in a major upset that was set to bar Le Pen’s RN from running the government.
In his first reaction, its leader Jordan Bardella called the cooperation between anti-RN forces, known as the “republican front” a “disgraceful alliance” that he said would paralyse France:
“Unfortunately, the alliance of dishonour and the dangerous electoral arrangements made by President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Gabriel Attal with the far-left formations are tonight depriving the French people of a policy of recovery that they nonetheless overwhelmingly sided for by putting us in the lead in the European elections and then last Sunday in the first round (of legislative election) with almost 34% of the votes cast. Tonight, these electoral agreements are throwing France into the arms of Jean-Luc Melenchon’s extreme left.”
The French parliamentary elections were a victory for the left-wing New Popular Front and must thus unite the majority of French people, French Socialist leader Olivier Faure said
“This evening, France said ‘no’ to the arrival of the RN (far-right National Rally) to power. I want here, through you, to thank the millions of French people who allow us this evening a sigh of relief. This vote is first and foremost the victory of the (left-wing) New Popular Front (alliance) which was able to unite the left, embody a hope, impose a republican front against the danger of the far right.”
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said on Sunday (July 7) that he would hand his resignation to President Macron the next morning, adding that he will carry out his duties as long as required.
“Tonight, the political group I represented in this campaign, even if it scored three times more than what was predicted in recent weeks, does not have a majority. And so, being loyal to republican tradition and to my principles, I will hand in my resignation letter to the President. My commitment in this campaign was for me a duty. From the start of this campaign, I’ve been alerted of three risks – the risk of an absolute majority dominated by France Unbowed (hard-left party), the risk of an absolute majority dominated by the (far right) National Rally and the risk of disappearance for the movement that represents our ideas and our values. Today, these three risks have been eliminated by the French. Tonight, no absolute majority can be driven by the extremes.”
French far right leader Le Pen said on Sunday that France has “lost one more year” to curtail immigration, purchasing power and insecurity matters after her National Right (RN) party suffered an upset against left-wing rivals in the country’s legislative run-off election.
“The quagmire that I warned about has of course come true. France will be totally blocked with three groups that have more or less the same influence in the National Assembly. Well, we’re going towards that, it’s sad. We’re losing one more year, one more year of unregulated immigration, one more year of losing purchasing power, one more year of a blowing up of insecurity in our country. But if we need to go through that, then we’ll go through that.
Source: BBC
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