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Marine Le Pen’s far-right party suffered a shock defeat in the second and final round of the general election, just weeks after it appeared it might finally take power in Paris.
The National Alliance (NR) won 143 seats in Sunday’s election, a big increase from the 88 it won in the last parliament but still far short of the 33 percent of the vote it received in the first round of elections last month.
NR’s first success came after French President Emmanuel Macron called early general elections following his victory in the European elections.
After Le Pen’s party won the first round of voting, the left-wing coalition teamed up with Macron’s centrist Together party to ensure they wouldn’t steal each other’s votes to prevent the National Party from ultimately winning.
Their plan was successful, but the three parties still fell far short of a majority of the vote, likely leaving parliament in limbo.
Current Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, a member of Macron’s party, has offered to step down while the French president considers a successor.
France’s far-right National Rally to join new EU alliance
Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party will join a new coalition in the European Parliament led by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a Hungarian government spokesman said on Monday.
Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPO), Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party and Czech populist ANO party led by Andrej Babiš have formed a new alliance in the European Parliament, citing the fight against illegal immigration and the devolution of more power from Brussels to member states.
Tom WatlingJuly 8, 2024 10:50
How world leaders reacted to the French elections
Some of the early reactions from abroad were joy that an imminent threat from a far-right regime had been averted.
Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Alvarez told RNE radio he was pleased with the defeat of the far-right, which he said was “totally contrary to European values”.
Nikos Androulakis, leader of Greece’s socialist party PASOK, said the French people “have built a wall against the far right, racism and intolerance, and defended the immortal principles of the French Republic: liberty, equality and fraternity.”
Messages of support came from the leaders of Mexico and Venezuela, and Colombia’s leftist firebrand President Gustavo Petro also congratulated France on ousting Ms. Le Pen.
“Some battles last only a few days but decide the fate of humanity. France has lived through one of those battles,” he said.
An EU official described it as a “huge relief”, but added: “But what it means for Europe on a day-to-day basis remains to be seen”.
Tom WatlingJuly 8, 2024 10:15
National Rally supporters react to shock French election results: ‘disappointed’
National Rally supporters react to shock French election results: ‘disappointed’
The French left-wing coalition that quickly rallied to defeat the burgeoning far-right in parliamentary elections won the most seats in parliament but fell short of a majority, according to opinion polls on Sunday, a shocking result that threatens to plunge France into political and economic turmoil. The result dashed the hopes of Jordan Bardella, leader of the far-right Rally National party, who had hoped to become prime minister. Stunned supporters of his party expressed a range of emotions as the results became clear. With no coalition able to secure a clear majority, France faces uncertainty that could destabilize markets and the economy and cast a shadow of political unrest over the Paris Olympics, which open in less than three weeks.
Tom WatlingJuly 8, 2024 09:45
Tear gas and riot police were deployed against crowds that gathered at Paris landmarks following the French election results.
Tear gas and riot police were deployed against crowds gathered at the Paris landmark.
French police used tear gas to break up election-day crowds in Paris and Nantes on Sunday night, but rallies across the country were largely peaceful. In the capital’s Place de la Republique, people marched chanting slogans and waving flags, but they quickly dispersed when riot police fired tear gas canisters at the rally’s edges. The same tactics were used in the western city of Nantes, a flashpoint for left-wing activism, where police fired tear gas at demonstrators. Strategic voting gave the far-right National Rally a shock victory, leaving the Left Coalition the largest force in the French Parliament.
Tom WatlingJuly 8, 2024 09:15
Watch live coverage of the French Parliament facing political deadlock following the election results
Tom WatlingJuly 8, 2024 08:45
Shock victory for left in French elections, far-right thwarted
Tom WatlingJuly 8, 2024 08:15
Here are some recent photos from France
Below are some of the latest photos coming out of France last night, as exit polls showed Marine Le Pen’s far-right Rally National party failed to capitalize on its electoral success in last month’s first round.
Tom WatlingJuly 8, 2024 07:45
Who is the New People’s Front?
About a month ago, the new Popular Front, which held the most seats in the French parliament and was likely to produce a new prime minister for the country, did not exist.
The alliance was hastily formed after President Emmanuel Macron called surprise parliamentary elections.
The NFP, made up of the Communist Party, the far-left Indomitable France, the Greens and the Socialists, has not said who it will choose as prime minister.
Among the leading figures who could emerge as the League’s prime minister is Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
The 72-year-old has been a fixture in France’s left-wing politics for decades, having served as a minister in successive Socialist governments.
He ran for president in 2012, 2017 and 2022, improving his score each time. In the 2022 election, he came in third behind far-right leader Marine Le Pen. Macron won that election.
Other candidates include Marine Tonderlier, leader of the Green party, Raphaël Glucksmann of the Socialist Party and Laurent Bergé, former head of the moderate CFDT, one of France’s main trade unions.
Namita SinghJuly 8, 2024 07:30
Macron waits for full results before announcing major decisions
In a brief statement, the Elysée Palace, France’s presidential residence, said President Emmanuel Macron was waiting for the full results from all 577 constituencies “before taking any necessary decisions.”
“In his role as guarantor of our institutions, the president will ensure that the sovereign choice of the French people is respected,” the statement said.
Namita SinghJuly 8, 2024 07:15
“Our victory is simply delayed.”
Marine Le Pen, the RN’s likely candidate in the 2027 presidential election, said Sunday’s vote, which saw the RN make a big gain compared to last elections, sowed seeds for the future.
“Our victory is simply delayed,” she said.
For Le Pen’s Rally National (RN) party, the result was a stark departure from weeks of opinion polls that had consistently predicted a comfortable victory.
A coalition of left-wing and centre-right parties came together after last week’s first round of voting, trying to pull a number of candidates from the three-way race and forge a unified anti-RN vote.
In his initial response, Le Pen’s successor as RN leader, Jordan Bardella, called cooperation between anti-RN forces a “shameful alliance” that would paralyze France.
Namita SinghJuly 8, 2024 07:00
