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The socialist-communist New Popular Front alliance has triumphed in the final round of snap legislative elections called by French President Emmanuel Macron, who aligned with the far-left to counter Marine Le Pen’s populist party.
Former socialist President François Hollande, who served as head of state from 2012 to 2017, has declared he will not seek to become the next prime minister. In an interview with Le Figaro, Hollande stated, “I am not a candidate to lead the government. We are not there… There are too many painful topics in our country at the level of public services and security.” Hollande recently joined the New Popular Front and has returned to the National Assembly as a socialist deputy (MP).
After the New Popular Front secured the most seats in Sunday’s second round of legislative elections, its principal leader, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, urged President Macron to either resign or appoint a prime minister from their ranks. While Mélenchon has expressed interest in the role himself, it remains uncertain if Macron will comply with this demand.
In light of the election results, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced his intention to resign, acknowledging the lack of a majority for his political group. “This evening, the political group that I represented in this campaign does not have a majority. I will submit my resignation to the President of the Republic tomorrow morning,” Attal stated. While Attal could potentially be reinstated, it is more probable that Macron will need to appoint a candidate from the far left to form a parliamentary alliance with the New Popular Front to govern effectively.
Following the disappointing results for her party, Marine Le Pen, leader of the populist National Rally in the French parliament, expressed resilience, saying, “I have too much experience to be disappointed by a result where we double the number of our deputies. The tide continues to rise… our victory is only delayed.”
Marine Le Pen: “I’m not disappointed by a result where we double our number of MPs. In the face of a coalition of every other party, aided by the Media which took clear sides, we are the biggest party in votes and seats. The tide is rising and our victory is only deferred.”
— Cillian (@CilComLFC) July 7, 2024
