The first results of the early general elections in France show the left-wing alliance Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) in the lead. According to forecasts, the NFP will win between 172 and 192 seats in the National Assembly.
The far-right Rassemblement National (RN) and its allies are expected to win 132-152 seats, placing third behind President Emmanuel Macron’s Ensemble coalition, which is likely to win 150-170 seats.
The conservative Les Républicains party is predicted to win 57-67 seats by maintaining a stable presence without an alliance with RN leader Eric Ciotti.
With no party able to secure a clear majority, President Macron will need to seek coalition partners from other parties. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of La France Insoumise (LFI) and a leading figure in the NFP, underlined that voters rejected an absolute majority for the far right and called on Macron to co-operate with the left to form a government.
Mélenchon emphasised his commitment to the NFP’s programme and said, “The President of the Republic must submit to the results of the left.”
The expected distribution of seats for the left alliance is as follows: LFI 68-74, Socialists 63-69, Greens 32-36 and Communists 10-12.