The left-wing alliance New Popular Front (NFP) has emerged as the surprise leader in the second and final round of voting in France. Results show there will be no clear majority for any of the leading alliances in the French National Assembly.
France’s Interior Ministry has confirmed the final results of Sunday’s elections for the National Assembly, which saw a 66.63% voter turnout. The pan-left alliance NPF won the largest number of seats – 182, well short of the 289 seats needed for majority in the lower house. President Macron’s centrist Ensemble Alliance has won 163 seats.
Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally and allies, who led in the first round, slumped to third place due to tactical voting, and won 143 seats. The left and centrist parties had worked overtime to prevent a majority for the far-right.
The resulting three-way political split could create deadlock in the parliament. France could be headed for a period of uncertainty and political manoeuvring.
French PM Gabriel Attal says he will submit his resignation today. While Macron’s party lost many seats in the parliament, he seems to have succeeded in halting the march of the far-right to power.
While France’s far-right National Rally (RN), a party with a long and complicated history, didn’t clinch the majority it was hoping for in Sunday’s election, the party has come a long way since previous elections, says CNN. In the 2017 election, the RN won only eight seats. In 2022, they won 89. Now, the party has won 143 seats. In recent years, Marine Le Pen has sought to change the way the party is viewed by softening its image and bringing in 28-year old Jordan Bardella as leader.
What will be the implications of a badly hung French Assembly on France and Europe. Expert views are welcome.
Far-right seems to have gained ground in France and across much of Europe; however, it is still viewed by scepticism by a vast majority. What are the reasons for and the implications of the rise of the far-right across Europe? Views would be welcome.
Disclaimer: The article has reference to open sources including CNN, Al Jazeera, The Bloomberg and results declared by French Interior Ministry.