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French Election Results 2024: What Happened in France’s Shock Parliamentary Poll?

Posted on by angelo
French Election Results 2024: What Happened in France’s Shock Parliamentary Poll?

Where does this photo come from, ANDRÉ PAIN/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

What do we call this photo? Radical left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon bin Dey rushes to claim victory after first screenings

France is in a political impasse after legislative elections dealt a blow to the far-right National Rally – but gave no party a majority.

The National Rally is in third place, behind the left-wing alliance and the centrists of President Emmanuel Macron.

More than 200 candidates who consider themselves part of a “republican front” withdrew from the second round so that a better-placed rival could prevent the RN from winning.

The turnout of 66.63 percent was reportedly the highest in a parliamentary second round since 1997.

Although Macron will have to work with parliament, this election will not directly affect his position – he has three years left in his presidential term.

A full analysis of the results is expected later.

But in the 577-seat French assembly, it looks like the left-wing coalition will get 182 seats, with the Macron Ensemble alliance taking 168 and the far-right National Rally and its allies taking 143.

We will bring the final result as soon as we arrive.

Meanwhile, the French Prime Minister has resigned. Last night, Gabriel Attal announced that he would resign from his post today after Macron’s alliance lost its majority. Attal did not resign immediately, he said he would remain in office “as long as my duty requires.”

We have not yet heard from the French president.

How we get there

Last month, President Macron dissolved parliament and called early elections, just an hour after the centrist Ensemble alliance was defeated by the National Rally (RN) in the European Parliament elections.

At that point, Macron told voters: “I have heard your message. And I will not let it go without a response.”

“France needs a clear majority in serenity and harmony”

Following its success in the European Parliament elections, the far-right National Rally is tipped to win the early elections in France, and is performing well in many opinion polls, but it appears to have beaten them into third place.

The New Popular Front, a left-wing coalition, is on track to win a highly charged and shortened election that Macron called just four weeks ago.

It now appears that France is heading towards a parliament without an absolute majority, with no party having a majority.

None of the three blocs is able to form an absolute majority of 289 seats in a parliament of 577.

These parliamentary elections do not affect Macron’s own work, as they are separate from the presidential elections and his term as president still runs for three years.

All eyes are now on the president, who will have to find a solution to get out of this impasse.

The new National Assembly is due to meet in 10 days, but the Paris Olympics begin on July 26 and France has no need to back down.