France elections : Left leads, far-right falls to 3rd place

Dominating the last European elections, the National Rally (RN) has secured third place in the legislative polls, the second round of which took place on Sunday, July 7, 2024, in France.

In the National Assembly, the far-right party led by Jordan Bardella and its allies is projected to win between 132 and 152 seats, according to initial estimates. In an unprecedented turn, the Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) is expected to come out on top with 172 to 192 seats. Ensemble pour la majorité présidentielle is projected to follow with 150 to 170 seats.

On the right, Les Républicains are expected to hold 57 to 67 seats, while Divers Gauche would have 13 to 16 seats. The center-right would secure 6 to 8 seats. Although the NFP and the presidential majority seem to have blocked the RN, the far-right party has made significant gains compared to the previous legislature, where it held 89 seats in the National Assembly.

In his speech on Sunday evening, the leader of La France insoumise (LFI), Jean-Luc Mélenchon, called for the formation of an NFP-led government. «Our people have clearly rejected the worst-case scenario for them... The president [Emmanuel Macron, ed. note] must bow and admit defeat. The Prime Minister must go. He has never received the confidence of the National Assembly», he declared.