The extreme left has won the French legislative elections after striking an anti-populist pact with President Emmanuel Macron’s globalist Ensemble bloc. Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) placed first in the election’s first round, with the far-left New Popular Front (NFP) coalition in second and the Macronists a distant third. The pact, which saw NFP candidates stand aside for Ensemble where they had the better chance of defeating RN, and vice versa, saw the far left rise to first place and the Macronists rise to second, with Le Pen’s party in third.
Jordan Bardella, the RN president who would have become Prime Minister had the populists won the election, called the “unnatural” left-globalist pact a “dishonorable alliance” that has “thrown France to Jean-Luc Melenchon’s extreme left,” referring to the leader of the France Unbowed party that the NPF centers on. Le Pen herself says the election shows the “tide is rising,” with more RN lawmakers in the National Assembly than ever. “Our victory has only been delayed,” she insists.
Meanwhile, the French far left, which rioted after RN won the election’s first round, rioted again, despite winning.
Selon les journalistes du «Figaro» présents place de la République ce dimanche, de très violents affrontements ont lieu. La police a effectué des premières charges contre les manifestants. Du mobilier urbain a notamment pris feu, et des projectiles ont été lancés sur les CRS. pic.twitter.com/JNhkUvPSey
— Le Figaro (@Le_Figaro) July 7, 2024
‘UNTENABLE.’
President Emmanuel Macron called the legislative election on short notice after RN won the European elections in France. He likely believed the populists lacked the resources to fight another election so soon and could be robbed of their momentum.
While Macron’s eleventh-hour alliance with the extreme left has successfully blocked a populist government, it may prove as damaging to him as to Le Pen. His handpicked prime minister, Gabriel Attal, is already tendering his resignation, though he will remain in post as a so-called caretaker for now.
Jean-Luc Melenchon, whose coalition partners include the French Communist Party, wants economic policies far to the left of Macron’s, including tens of billions of dollars in tax hikes, over a hundred billion dollars in additional spending, and reversing Macron’s increase of the state pension age from 62 to 64.
More concerningly for the European establishment, he is a staunch ally of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), a critic of the European Union (EU), and favors leaving NATO. He also opposes arming Ukraine. In 2014, he supported Russia’s annexation of Crimea as a “protective measure against an adventurous putschist power.”
“The Russian nation cannot allow the North Americans and NATO to settle on their doorstep,” he added.
These differences guarantee a huge fight between the far left and the Macronists over the coming weeks, as neither have an outright majority in the National Assembly.
Macron’s presidential term does not expire until 2027 and he claims he will not resign. However, Le Pen believes his position is now “untenable.”
France, snap national parliament election, second round:
Final results (seat distribution)
NFP-LEFT|G/EFA|S&D: 182 (+51)
Ensemble-RE: 168 (-76)
RN and allies-ID: 143 (+54)
LR/Divers droite-EPP: 60 (-11)
Divers gauche-*: 13 (-9)
Divers centre-*: 6 (+2)
Regionalists-*: 4 (-6)… pic.twitter.com/dcBvgMD9d6— Europe Elects (@EuropeElects) July 7, 2024