In a surprising turn of events, France’s parliamentary election has left the country on the brink of a hung parliament. Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party, initially expected to dominate, secured third place in the second round of voting, according to exit polls.
The left-wing New Popular Front coalition (NPF) is set to win the most seats (182) in the second round, followed closely by President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist group, Ensemble, with an estimated 163 seats. RN trails behind with 143 seats, as reported by BFM TV.
To prevent three-way run-offs, centrist and leftist parties withdrew 221 candidates after RN’s strong showing in the first round. This included 83 candidates from Macron’s camp and 132 from the NPF.
Despite the setback, Le Pen remains optimistic, stating that RN’s victory has “merely been delayed.” She described Macron’s position as “untenable.”
Jordan Bardella, president of National Rally, criticized the coalitions formed in response to RN’s success, claiming they “paralysed” the French political system. He accused Macron of pushing the country towards “uncertainty and instability.”
Macron’s office responded, stating that the president “will respect the choice of the French people” and is waiting for the full results before making any decisions.
Protests erupted in Paris following the results, leading to clashes with riot police. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, a member of Macron’s Renaissance party, announced his intention to resign, saying, “Even though we had three times better results than being envisaged, it doesn’t mean that it’s a majority.
The NPF, a broad left-wing electoral alliance formed in response to Macron’s snap election, is just under a month old. It includes La France Insoumise (France Unbowed), the Socialist Party, Les Ecologistes, the French Communist Party, Generations, Place Publique, and several other left-leaning parties and groups.
The campaign has been volatile, with over 50 candidates reporting physical attacks. Over 30,000 police were deployed on voting day.
