The French Parliamentary Elections:- A messy yet surprising outcome

The left-wing New People’s Front has secured a stunning victory in the French Parliamentary Elections, securing 188 seats, making it the largest party in the National Assembly. The Ensemble, which is Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance came in second place securing 161 seats while the National Rally, the far-right bloc that was poised to take the assembly by storm due to its stellar performance in the first round of polls got only 142 seats. The National Rally victory over 10 million votes while New Popular Front and the Ensemble each came in at around 6-7 million votes.

The National Rally is described as a far-right party that has often expressed xenophobic and anti-immigration stances. Her controversial “National Preference” policy that her National Rally party hopes to enforce if they win the French elections. Le Pen argues that her approach to immigration is about nationality, not origin. She aims to grant French citizens extra rights, which contrasts with the rights of immigrants. This National Preference will be implemented in several spheres such as in social housing. The party plans to house people in social housing that has been paid for by the French, their parents, and their grandparents over the generations and priority to those who have French nationality, whatever their origin. Furthermore, If Le Pen wins the presidential election, France would ban Ukraine from firing French weapons at Russia. In an interview with CNN, Le Pen said that her only ‘red line’ for Ukraine is to prevent France from participating in the conflict. In addition, her party’s prime minister will block the sending of French troops to Ukraine

Political analysts have drawn several reasons for the failure of the National Rally to secure a majority in the assembly. Nearly every major exit poll had predicted a victory for the National Rally due to its stellar performance in the European Parliamentary elections and the first round of voting. A major reason for this loss can be attributed to a strategic centre-left alliance during the second stage of polling. Over 200 candidates were strategically removed from constituencies where there was a 3-way race to avoid the anti-National Rally vote from splitting. Bardella related his party’s setback to a “disgraceful alliance” of anti-RN forces who he said had colluded to disrespect the true wishes of the voters. France’s left-wing New Popular Front (NPF) – now the largest group in parliament – has
called for a prime minister who will implement its ideas including a new wealth tax and petrol price controls.

France’s parties are now jockeying for position and it’s unclear exactly how things will shake out, but the NPF has insisted it will implement its radical set of ideas such as:-

A new 90% tax on any annual income above €400,000, raising the minimum wage, and introducing nationwide price controls on essential foods, electricity, gas, and petrol. lowering the retirement age to 60 and starting a heavy investment in green energy transition (despite nuclear energy) and public services.

In relation to the Ukraine war, Jean-Luc Mélenchon who is the La France Insoumise (the France Unbowed) party leader said:- “To send troops to Ukraine will convert us a belligerent part of a war. A war with Russia would be crazy. This bellicose verbal escalation of a nuclear power against another great nuclear power is an irresponsible act. … No to the war! The time has come to negotiate peace in Ukraine in the condition of mutual security! There is no military solution to the war in Ukraine. If you don’t want the war, vote for us”

La France Insoumise is the main force in the New Popular Front left-wing electoral alliance, the winner of the French legislative election Mélenchon’s position on the Ukraine war is very reasonable. However, the other two big parties in the New Popular Front alliance, the Socialists and the Greens, have a pro-NATO and pro-war stance.

The next year may be plagued with political instability. Experts fear that a political deadlock could occur which could jeopardize the civil services and the French military which operates in many regions around the globe. Furthermore, although the National Rally failed to secure a parliamentary majority, it on the other hand secured the highest number of votes which can make the National Rally a serious force to be reckoned with, which could even go on to secure the French Presidency in the 2027 presidential elections.