France’s far right in trouble after left-wing alliance projected to win

The News

A left-wing coalition is on track for victory in France’s national election, exit poll projections suggest, in a major upset for far-right factions that were forecast to win.

The New Popular Front party is projected to win the most seats in parliament, but will fall short of an outright majority — which could lead to a hung parliament.

President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance is set to finish second, with the far-right group finishing third.

Official results are set to be released throughout the evening, and a left-wing victory would mark a “plot twist,” according to AFP. Marine Le Pen’s far-right party surged in June’s European elections — prompting President Emmanuel Macron to call snap elections — and was seen as the favorite in the parliamentary elections.

Know More

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, a member of Macron’s party, said he will resign following the election projections. With no party on track for a parliament majority, the country is barreling toward political uncertainty just before Paris hosts the Olympics.

The far-right National Rally party dominated in the first round of the country’s legislative elections, exit polls showed, leading more than 200 candidates from the left and center to drop out of three- and four-way contests, in order to consolidate support and keep the far right from power.

In the final week of the election, the National Rally faced fresh scrutiny for racist, homophobic, or xenophobic statements made by dozens of its candidates, Le Monde reported.

The left-wing coalition, which hurriedly unified after the European parliamentary elections, billed itself as “the only alternative” to the far right. The group includes both moderate leftist factions and more radical, far-left parties, and wants to lower the retirement age and increase governments spending on welfare, health care, and the environment.