Surprise in French Elections; Left Coalition Wins, Prime Minister Resigns

In a complete surprise, the left coalition in France managed to achieve a relative majority in the country's parliament, surpassing other parties, an event that led to the defeat of the far-right party and also forced the French Prime Minister to resign. According to the initial results announced from the second round of the parliamentary elections held on Sunday, July 8, this coalition was able to secure the most seats. According to Reuters, of the 577 seats in the French parliament, the status of 558 seats was determined by early Monday morning, with the leftist coalition 'New Popular Front' winning 177 seats so far, the Macron-supporting coalition 157 seats, and the far-right party 141 seats. These results have not yet been officially announced. Initial assessments indicated that the left coalition could secure between 172 to 215 seats, the Macron-supporting coalition between 150 to 180 seats, and the far-right party between 115 to 155 seats. However, none of these three political blocs managed to achieve an absolute majority, an event contrary to predictions that suggested a victory for the far-right party. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a leader of the left, in his first speech after the elections, stated that the French people had set aside the 'worst solution' referring to the far-right party. He attacked Macron's current government and called for the Prime Minister to resign, stating that the 'New Popular Front' should take over the government. This request was positively received by Gabriel Attal, the French Prime Minister, who announced he would submit his resignation to the President on Monday, adding that he would continue to perform his duties as long as necessary. Ricard Yozwiak, the editor of Radio Free Europe in Europe, stated that the big winner of the early parliamentary elections was this newly formed left-wing coalition known as the New Popular Front; a coalition of Greens, Social Democrats, Communists, and Mélenchon’s 'Unsubmissive France' party. He noted that what caused this surprise was, first, the participation rate of 67%, the highest in parliamentary elections in France this century. According to Mr. Yozwiak, despite this setback, Marine Le Pen is looking forward to two new opportunities: that a new parliamentary election may be on the way, or the upcoming presidential election in France scheduled for 2027. The left coalition chose the name 'Popular Front' inspired by a coalition that prevented the far-right from winning in France about a hundred years ago. On the other hand, candidates who made it to the second round from this coalition withdrew the most from candidacy to pave the way for other candidates to win against the far-right. Jordan Bardella, a key figure from the National Rally, stated after the initial results that France had 'fallen into the hands of the far-left.' He accused Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, of confronting the people of this country with daily problems in the coming months. However, Marine Le Pen, the leader of the National Rally, expressed optimism about the future despite this defeat, stating that the 'growing movement' of her party continues and that 'victory is merely postponed.' Raphael Glucksmann, the leader of the Socialist Party of France, which is part of the winning coalition, reacted to the results by saying, 'We are ahead, but we will be in a divided parliament.' He emphasized that the leaders of the winning parties must act like 'mature individuals.' In the first round, about 70 representatives, including Marine Le Pen, were elected for 577 seats in the National Assembly, half of whom were from the far-right and the other half from other parties. The participation rate in the second round of the French elections increased significantly due to the sensitivities of this parliamentary election, reaching the highest level since 1981. According to the French Ministry of Interior, the participation rate in the second round of parliamentary elections reached 59.71% by 5 PM on Sunday, breaking the record of the first round of this election. Following the victory of the left coalition, clashes occurred between the police and some individuals who gathered in central Paris to celebrate. As voting neared its end, French police forces in various cities, especially the capital, prepared to confront possible protests. Reports indicated that 30,000 police forces across France and 5,000 police forces in Paris were on standby. However, this did not prevent clashes in Paris and other cities. Thousands gathered in Place de la République in Paris to celebrate the victory of the left coalition, but some individuals present at the gathering clashed with police, who resorted to tear gas. Protesters also set wooden barricades on fire. Previously, photos had emerged of large stores on the famous Champs-Élysées in Paris showing their windows being covered with wooden sheets to avoid damage. After the victory of the far-right party in the European Parliament elections, Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, dissolved the French parliament in a televised speech on June 10. Macron later emphasized that he would not resign under any circumstances and would remain in power at the Élysée Palace until the end of his legal presidential term in 2027. The decline in purchasing power, immigration issues, and the healthcare system were the three main topics in the current French elections. The new political conditions in France come as the country is set to host the Olympics starting August 26.