Paris, Monday, 20 June 2022
The Ensemble alliance, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, suffered a serious defeat on Sunday when it failed to win an absolute majority in legislative elections, placing the presidential majority at risk of forming partnerships with other parties.
Several exit polls of the second round results showed Macron's Ensemble (Together) alliance in the lead, but far short of the magic number of 289 seats required to build a parliamentary majority.
According to Elabe polls for BFMTV and L'Express news, Macron's campaign will win between 205 and 235 members in the National Assembly, while France 24 news predicts 224 seats.
This is the first time since previous President Francois Mitterrand faced a similar dilemma in 1998, when he won fewer seats in legislative elections.
According to a BFMTV news broadcast, the results are "far from what we hoped for." Former government spokesperson and Minister of Public Accounts Gabriel Attal summarised the situation.
The low numbers put Macron in a difficult position, as he will now have to create an alliance with other parties to preserve a legislative majority, which would be necessary to carry out his second-term plan.
According to polls, the majority of voters want a left-wing prime minister and a government that supports a left-wing agenda.
The major challenger to Macron's alliance, Jean-Luc Melenchon's NUPES (New Ecological and Social Popular Union), is expected to win between 149 and 190 seats.
Melenchon, who finished third in the presidential election, took command of the "completely unforeseen situation," telling BFMTV, "We have achieved our political purpose... to bring down the one with hubris who had twisted the arm of the entire country."
Marine Le Pen's National Rally, the unexpected wildcard winner of these elections, is anticipated to gain anywhere from 75 to 95 seats, a considerable increase from the existing eight seats in the national parliament.
She expressed her delight at her party's candidates constituting the largest group of parliamentarians in parliament for the first time since the party's formation in the 1970s, according to the article.
Les Republicains, a socialist party that did poorly in the recently finished presidential elections, is expected to receive 60-70 seats.
(Report by: The Decision Maker – International Relations editors)
(Picture by: Wikipedia)