©Founder of left-wing party La France Insoumise (LFI) Jean-Luc (3thL) poses with members of the party Mathilde Panot (2ndL), Manuel Bompard (C) and Nadege Abomangoli (2ndR) during the election night of left-wing party La France Insoumise (LFI) following the first results of the second round of France's legislative election at La Rotonde Stalingrad in Paris on July 7, 2024. (Sameer Al-Doumy / AFP)
According to initial figures, none of the political blocs has won a majority in the French parliamentary elections. The New Popular Front came out on top in the second round of legislative elections on Sunday July 7, ahead of Ensemble-Renaissance and Rassemblement National.
Turnout for this second round was 67.1%, the highest since 1997.
Left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon on Sunday called on Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to "go away" and said the President had "a duty to call on the new Popular Front to govern", following the second round of legislative elections.
"Our people have clearly rejected the worst-case solution", said Mr. Mélenchon, declaring that "no subterfuge, arrangement or combination would be acceptable" and refusing "to enter into negotiations" with the presidential party.
[readmore url="https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/world/270077"]
His ally Olivier Faure, First Secretary of the French Socialist Party (PS), declared that "the role of the New Popular Front and at its heart the PS," will be to "rebuild a collective project for our country and federate a majority of French men and women", after the second round of legislative elections.
"France deserved better than the alternative between neoliberalism and fascism that has been imposed on us for the past seven years. This vote confers on the new Popular Front an immense responsibility, that of finding a way forward for France and meeting the needs of the French people, responding to the challenges of war, climate change and inequality, and also making France a voice that drives Europe forward," he added from PS headquarters.
"We're going to govern," assured Green's chief Marine Tondelier. "Social justice has won, environmental justice has won, and the people have won," she said.
"We're in the lead, but we're in a divided assembly (...) and so we're going to have to behave like adults," declared center-left leader Raphaël Glucksmann (Place publique), also part of the leftist alliance following the second round of the legislative elections, which put the left at the top of the results.
"We're going to have to talk, we're going to have to discuss, we're going to have to dialogue," he added. "The heart of power has been transferred to the Assembly and (...) it's a change of political culture that's necessary and that's going to be fundamental".
French President Emmanuel Macron called for "prudence" in analyzing the results of the legislative elections to see who can be tasked with forming a government, and is pleased that the central bloc is "alive and well" after seven years in power, his entourage said on Sunday evening.
"A cautious analysis of the results is needed: the question is how to govern from now on and achieve a majority", they stressed. "Though humble, after seven years the central bloc is alive and well", added the President's entourage.
"No one can claim to have won" these elections, "especially not Monsieur Mélenchon", said Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.
François Bayrou, president of the Modem party and an ally of the French president, said that it was "unimaginable that the new Popular Front will have any kind of majority" to govern after the second round of legislative elections, in which the left came out on top.
"Nobody has won", he stressed, saying that voters had first voted in the second round to prevent the Rassemblement National from having an absolute majority.
The president of France's far-right Rassemblement National party, Jordan Bardella, denounced the "alliance of dishonor" that deprives the French "of a policy of recovery", as his party came third according to early estimates in the second round of legislative elections.
"More than ever, the Rassemblement National embodies the only alternative," he added, promising that his party would not fall into "any political compromise" and assuring that "nothing can stop a people who have begun to hope again".
Emmanuel Macron has thrown France "into a quagmire", Rassemblement National (RN) vice president Sébastien Chenu said on CNews. The MP denounced the "completely unnatural alliances" in reference to the numerous withdrawals to block the far-right party.
Marine Le Pen said that the Rassemblement National's victory "is only deferred", stressing that the RN was "the leading" party in France.
"The tide is rising. It didn't rise high enough this time, but it's still rising and, as a result, our victory is only deferred," she declared on TF1, adding, "I have too much experience to be disappointed by a result where we double our number of deputies."
With AFP
Turnout for this second round was 67.1%, the highest since 1997.
“We’re Going to Govern"
Left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon on Sunday called on Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to "go away" and said the President had "a duty to call on the new Popular Front to govern", following the second round of legislative elections.
"Our people have clearly rejected the worst-case solution", said Mr. Mélenchon, declaring that "no subterfuge, arrangement or combination would be acceptable" and refusing "to enter into negotiations" with the presidential party.
[readmore url="https://thisisbeirut.com.lb/world/270077"]
His ally Olivier Faure, First Secretary of the French Socialist Party (PS), declared that "the role of the New Popular Front and at its heart the PS," will be to "rebuild a collective project for our country and federate a majority of French men and women", after the second round of legislative elections.
"France deserved better than the alternative between neoliberalism and fascism that has been imposed on us for the past seven years. This vote confers on the new Popular Front an immense responsibility, that of finding a way forward for France and meeting the needs of the French people, responding to the challenges of war, climate change and inequality, and also making France a voice that drives Europe forward," he added from PS headquarters.
"We're going to govern," assured Green's chief Marine Tondelier. "Social justice has won, environmental justice has won, and the people have won," she said.
"We're in the lead, but we're in a divided assembly (...) and so we're going to have to behave like adults," declared center-left leader Raphaël Glucksmann (Place publique), also part of the leftist alliance following the second round of the legislative elections, which put the left at the top of the results.
"We're going to have to talk, we're going to have to discuss, we're going to have to dialogue," he added. "The heart of power has been transferred to the Assembly and (...) it's a change of political culture that's necessary and that's going to be fundamental".
Macron Calls for "Prudence"
French President Emmanuel Macron called for "prudence" in analyzing the results of the legislative elections to see who can be tasked with forming a government, and is pleased that the central bloc is "alive and well" after seven years in power, his entourage said on Sunday evening.
"A cautious analysis of the results is needed: the question is how to govern from now on and achieve a majority", they stressed. "Though humble, after seven years the central bloc is alive and well", added the President's entourage.
"No one can claim to have won" these elections, "especially not Monsieur Mélenchon", said Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.
François Bayrou, president of the Modem party and an ally of the French president, said that it was "unimaginable that the new Popular Front will have any kind of majority" to govern after the second round of legislative elections, in which the left came out on top.
"Nobody has won", he stressed, saying that voters had first voted in the second round to prevent the Rassemblement National from having an absolute majority.
“Alliance of Dishonor”
The president of France's far-right Rassemblement National party, Jordan Bardella, denounced the "alliance of dishonor" that deprives the French "of a policy of recovery", as his party came third according to early estimates in the second round of legislative elections.
"More than ever, the Rassemblement National embodies the only alternative," he added, promising that his party would not fall into "any political compromise" and assuring that "nothing can stop a people who have begun to hope again".
Emmanuel Macron has thrown France "into a quagmire", Rassemblement National (RN) vice president Sébastien Chenu said on CNews. The MP denounced the "completely unnatural alliances" in reference to the numerous withdrawals to block the far-right party.
Marine Le Pen said that the Rassemblement National's victory "is only deferred", stressing that the RN was "the leading" party in France.
"The tide is rising. It didn't rise high enough this time, but it's still rising and, as a result, our victory is only deferred," she declared on TF1, adding, "I have too much experience to be disappointed by a result where we double our number of deputies."
With AFP
This Is Beirut
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