Headline Roundup • July 8th, 2024
French Leftists Defy Polls, Halt Right-Wing Majority
Summary from the AllSides News Team
After a historic victory from the right-wing National Alliance in France’s first round of parliamentary elections last week, a left-wing coalition delivered an unexpected result in the second round on Sunday, preventing a right-wing surge.
The Details: Although no party won a majority, the leftist coalition, New Popular Front, came in first place with 182 seats, ahead of President Emmanuel Macron's centrist Ensemble alliance with 168 seats. The National Rally and its allies took 143 seats, falling short of the 289 needed for an absolute majority.
For Context: These voting rounds were called by Macron after France’s far-right triumphed in the European parliamentary elections earlier in June and were viewed by many as risky for the President. Last weekend, the far right won elections in a runaway fashion, leaving Macron’s Ensemble Alliance in third place. Pollsters thought the trend would continue in the second round of runoff elections, possibly even handing the National Alliance an absolute majority.
How: Between voting rounds, more than 200 candidates who saw themselves as part of a left-and-center “republican front” withdrew from their races to avoid being spoilers and help prevent the forecasted right-wing victory.
What’s Next?: Macron’s Prime Minister Gabriel is now set to resign, as no coalition or party has secured a parliamentary majority and France’s parliament will remain hung, leaving the country in a legislative stalemate.
How The Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum covered the election results intently and conveyed a sense of shock at the left’s surge.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Yara Nardi/Reuters
A left-wing alliance has won the most seats in the French parliament after tactical voting in Sunday’s second round election thwarted Marine Le Pen’s far-right party, but France will be left in political limbo after no party came close to winning an absolute majority.
In a surprise result, the New Popular Front (NFP) – a cluster of several parties ranging from the far-left France Unbowed party to the more moderate Socialists and the Ecologists – won 182 seats in the National Assembly, making it the largest group but short of the 289 required...
ANDRE PAIN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Nobody expected this. High drama, for sure, but this was a shock.
When the graphics flashed up on all the big French channels, it was not the far right of Marine Le Pen and her young prime minister-in-waiting Jordan Bardella who were on course for victory.
It was the left who had clinched it, and Emmanuel Macron's centrists - the Ensemble alliance - had staged an unexpected comeback, pushing the far-right National Rally (RN) into third.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the veteran left-wing firebrand seen by his critics as an extremist, wasted...
Yara Nardi/Reuters
French prime minister Gabriel Attal announced his intention to resign after the country’s legislative elections gave a first-place plurality to the left-wing New Popular Front coalition in the second round of voting on Sunday.
“Faithful to the Republican tradition and in accordance with my principles, tomorrow morning I will submit my resignation to the president of the Republic,” said Attal, a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron and a political centrist.
While no party was able to secure the 289 seats necessary to hold a majority in the country’s National...
