“Left Coalition’s Unexpected Victory in France Deals Major Blow to Macron and Far Right”
Paris: The left wing has made significant gains in the French elections, delivering a blow to the opinion polls, the far-right, and President Emmanuel Macron.
However, the New Popular Front (NFP) coalition, hastily formed by the left just before the elections, is far from achieving an absolute majority.
The official announcement of the results is still pending, contributing to political uncertainty. Meanwhile, the euro’s value fell on Sunday following the election outcomes.
Currently, the French Parliament is divided into three major groups: the Left, the Centrists, and the Far Right. With no history of collaboration among these factions, political observers suggest that forming the next government remains uncertain.
Out of 577 seats in Parliament, the Left Alliance is projected to win 182 seats. The Right is estimated to secure 120–134 seats, and their allies are expected to gain 14–18 seats. Macron’s Centre Group is in second place in the parliament.
Backlash for Macron
Voters appear to have punished Macron and his ruling coalition for issues related to immigration, security, the cost of living crisis, and the failure of public services. This election defeat follows another setback for Macron in the European Parliament elections last month.
National Rally Finishes Third
Marine Le Pen’s nationalist, Eurosceptic National Rally (RN), which opinion polls had predicted would perform strongly, finished third. Le Pen’s efforts to expand the party beyond its traditional strongholds of the Mediterranean coast and northern belt were insufficient to secure a majority.
France Embraces the Left
Polls indicate that the public has embraced the left’s promises to control the prices of essential goods such as fuel and food and to raise the minimum wage to 1,600 euros a month.
Potential for a Leftist Government
There is a possibility that the leftist alliance, which includes hard-leftists, greens, and socialists, will form a government together. Leftist leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon has stated that the New Popular Front should be invited to form the government.
While President Macron may be hesitant to invite this coalition to govern, the coalition could proceed based on its status as the largest group in Parliament. Former prime minister Edward Philippe and others envision a broad cross-party coalition but are reluctant to include the left.
Irish Samachar English News
{OR} Kindly click to follow the Irish Samachar News channel on WhatsApp
Comments are closed.