France's leftist New Popular Front alliance was projected to win the most seats in yesterday's final round of legislative elections. The news came as an upset to the nationalist-populist National Rally, which ranked first in last week's preliminary round but fell to third place yesterday behind President Emmanuel Macron's centrist coalition.
The New Popular Front—led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon—is a collection of leftist parties including socialist and communist groups committed to reversing Macron's pension reforms (see overview). With voter turnout estimated at 67%—France's highest rate in 40 years—the bloc was projected to win a plurality of seats but fall short of the majority needed to secure the prime minister role.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal pledged to resign today following the vote, with negotiations for his replacement expected to last weeks. While Macron had called for this month's snap parliamentary elections (see previous write-up), he has committed to retaining the presidency until the end of his second term in 2027.
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