In an unexpected turn of events, the leftist alliance Nouveau Front Populaire emerged victorious in the pivotal second round of parliamentary elections, claiming a remarkable tally of approximately 172 to 192 seats. This stunning feat surpassed the far-right contenders and defied all political predictions, according to exit polls conducted on July 7. The voter turnout reached a commendable 67.10%, surpassing even the first round's numbers and marking the highest participation rate in French elections since 1981.
The Nouveau Front Populaire, a formidable coalition comprising socialist, green, and hard-left parties, including La France Insoumise (LFI), reigned supreme in the National Assembly, the lower chamber of parliament. They led the way, with President Emmanuel Macron's centrist coalition, Ensemble, trailing behind with an estimated 150 to 170 seats. The far-right, which had triumphantly won the first round, suffered a humiliating defeat, settling in third place with approximately 132 to 152 seats. Their projected victory, based on the first round's results, seemed like a distant dream.
Jean-Luc Melenchon, the fiery leader of France Insoumise, a party frequently accused of fomenting antisemitism and importing Gaza war tensions into French politics, demanded the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and called for Macron to "bow to the will of the people." As the exit polls revealed their verdicts on Sunday, Attal announced his intention to tender his resignation to Macron, leaving the door open for the President to either accept or reject it.
Macron's stunning decision to dissolve the National Assembly, where his party held 250 seats, came in the wake of the European elections, which were won by the far-right led by Jordan Bardella, a close ally of Marine Le Pen. Macron described this unprecedented move as a "vote of confidence in the French people's ability to make the best choice for themselves and future generations. A testament to our vibrant democracy."
While the Nouveau Front Populaire secured a significantly higher score than anticipated, it fell short of the absolute majority required to govern the 577-seat parliament. Nevertheless, the party's strong showing is likely to trigger a swift government reshuffle, with the Olympic Games looming just a month away. Macron pledged during a council of ministers meeting that he would not form a government led by Melenchon's hard-left party, France Insoumise.
The far-right's defeat was attributed to the strategic withdrawal of over 200 candidates, primarily from centrist and left-wing coalitions, who prioritized avoiding a vote split that would have benefited Le Pen's party. In his first post-election address, Melenchon expressed his opposition to any form of cohabitation with Macron and urged the President to step down gracefully. He vowed that the Nouveau Front Populaire's first order of business would be to dismantle Macron's unpopular pension reform, which raised the retirement age to 64. Le Pen, meanwhile, downplayed the parliamentary defeat, claiming that the far-right's victory had merely been "postponed." Macron's presidential term is set to expire in 2027, but the political landscape in France has been forever altered by this tumultuous election cycle.
This is the first time since 1958, when General de Gaulle established the Fifth Republic, that the National Assembly has been so fragmented, with no single political party commanding a majority.
