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0:52

Le Pen speaks after French far-right loss: ‘It's unfortunate, we will lose
another year'– video
France



FRANCE ELECTION: SURPRISE WIN FOR LEFTWING ALLIANCE KEEPS LE PEN’S FAR RIGHT
FROM POWER

Marine Le Pen’s National Rally falls into third place despite strong showing in
first round of voting

 * France election 2024 live


Angelique Chrisafis in Paris
Sun 7 Jul 2024 21.57 CESTFirst published on Sun 7 Jul 2024 20.27 CEST
Share



A leftwing alliance has become the biggest force in the French parliament after
tactical voting held back the far right, but the shape of the future government
remained uncertain after no group won an absolute majority.

The surprise result for the leftwing New Popular Front – which won 182 seats,
followed by president Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Together alliance on 163 and
the far right in third with 143 seats – showed the strength of tactical voting
against Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN). The far right and its allies had
forged a commanding lead in the first round but were ultimately held back by
massive tactical voting to prevent them winning enough seats to form a
government.



Although the left alliance won the most seats, it was more than 100 seats short
of an absolute majority. Amid a high turnout estimated at about 67%, no single
group won an absolute majority of 289 seats and the ability to form a
government. The parliament was likely to be divided into three blocs: the left,
centrists and the far right.

France now enters a period of unprecedented uncertainty over the shape of its
future government and its likely prime minister. Macron has promised to remain
as president, but he did not speak publicly on Sunday night, privately calling
after exit polls were released for people to be “prudent” until the final
results were clear on Monday morning.

It could now take weeks to establish a government and it was unclear what shape
that government could take with the Olympic Games due to begin in Paris in less
than three weeks.

The prime minister, Gabriel Attal, announced that he would hand his resignation
to president Macron on Monday morning. But he also said he could stay in place
for the short term, if required, while a new government was formed.

“Tonight, a new era begins,” he said, adding that France’s destiny would play
out “more than ever in parliament”.

Attal said: “I know that, in the light of tonight’s results, a lot of French
people feel uncertainty about the future because no majority has emerged. Our
country is in an unprecedented political situation and is preparing to welcome
the world [at the Olympics] in a few weeks. I will stay in my role as long as
duty requires.”

1:14

Far-right and progressives react at the same time to French election results –
video

Jockeying for position in the new parliament began instantly. Jean-Luc
Mélenchon, leader of the leftwing France Unbowed party, said: “The president
must invite the New Popular Front [left alliance] to govern.” The outgoing
interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, said: “I note that today, no one can say
they have won this legislative election, especially not Mr Mélenchon.”

Raphaël Glucksmann of Place Publique and the Socialist party, part of the left
alliance, said: “We’re ahead, but we’re in a divided parliament … so we’re going
to have to act like grownups. We’re going to have to talk, to discuss, to engage
in dialogue.”

Despite placing third, the results were historic for the RN – representing its
biggest ever score in a parliamentary election, and an increase from the 88
seats it had when parliament was dissolved last month. But it was much lower
than the party had expected after it topped the vote in the first round last
week.

Jordan Bardella, the RN president, said the parties who had teamed up to stop
the far right were a “disgraceful alliance”. Le Pen, who intends to run for
president for the far right in 2027, said the far right’s rise to power would
continue. She said: “The tide is rising. It did not rise high enough this time,
but it continues to rise and our victory has simply been deferred.”

The RN’s limited score showed the success of a tactical voting pact formed last
week by centrists and the left to hold back the far right.

France on course for highest turnout in decades at pivotal election
Read more

More than 200 candidates from the left and centre had pulled out of the second
round last week in order to avoid splitting the vote against the RN. Those
parties had called on voters to choose any candidate against the RN, in an
attempt to prevent the far right winning an absolute majority and forming a
government.

The party, which was founded as the Front National by Jean-Marie Le Pen in 1972,
was presented by the left and centrists as a danger to democracy that promoted
racist, antisemitic and anti-Muslim views. Brice Tinturier, director general of
Ipsos, said the results showed that a majority of French voters still saw the RN
as dangerous.

Clémence Guetté, who was re-elected for France Unbowed, said the
lower-than-expected score for the RN showed that “this is not a racist country
and France does not want to be divided”.

On Sunday, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez hailed France’s “rejection of
the far right”. He welcomed the shock result alongside this week’s UK general
election where the centre-left Labour party achieved a landslide, saying both
countries “have said YES to progress and social progress and NO to going back on
rights and freedoms.”

US Senator Bernie Sanders also congratulated the French left for “taking on
right-wing extremism and winning”.

Brazil’s president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, congratulated the NFP, tweeting
that he was “very happy” with the “demonstration of greatness and maturity” that
saw leftist and centrist political forces unite to prevent the election of the
far right.

He wrote: “This result, as well as the victory of the Labour party in the United
Kingdom, reinforces the importance of dialogue between progressive segments in
defence of democracy and social justice. They should serve as an inspiration for
South America.”

Lula has a personal relationship with Mélenchon, who visited him while he was in
jail for corruption in 2019, in a case he said was politically motivated and
where his conviction was later quashed.

When voting projections were announced there were hugs, screams of joy and tears
of relief at the left’s gathering in Paris.

2:05

Supporters celebrate after surprise win for leftwing alliance in France – video

The Place de la République in central Paris was filled with crowds and a party
atmosphere, with leftwing supporters playing drums, lighting flares, and
chanting “We’ve won! We’ve won!”

“I’m relieved. As a French-Moroccan, a doctor, an ecologist activist, what the
far right was proposing to do as a government was craziness,” said 34-year-old
Hafsah Hachad.

Macron shocked his own government and party by calling snap elections on 9 June
after his centrists were trounced by the far right in European elections.

Explore more on these topics
 * France
 * Europe
 * National Rally
 * Emmanuel Macron
 * Marine Le Pen
 * news

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