Voters delivered a major setback for Marine Le Pen’s nationalist, eurosceptic National Rally (RN) in France’s recent parliamentary elections. Despite expectations that the RN would perform strongly, the party ended up in third place, trailing behind a leftist alliance and President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist coalition.
The results represented a significant blow to both the RN and Macron, who had called for the snap election to clarify the political landscape after his party’s poor showing in the European Parliament elections the previous month. Instead, the elections resulted in a highly fragmented parliament, complicating governance and potentially weakening France’s role within the European Union and on the global stage.
The leftist New Popular Front (NFP) alliance, which advocates for capping prices on essential goods, raising the minimum wage, increasing public sector salaries, and imposing a wealth tax, emerged with the most seats. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the hard-left leader of the alliance, immediately claimed a mandate to govern, stating that “the will of the people must be strictly respected.”
However, the leftist bloc did not secure an outright majority in the 577-seat assembly, garnering between 184 and 198 seats according to polling agencies. Macron’s centrist coalition was projected to win between 160 and 169 seats, while the RN and its allies were expected to secure between 135 and 143 seats.
The election leaves France with three major political factions—the left, centrists, and far right—with vastly different platforms and no tradition of collaboration. This division raises questions about the country’s ability to effectively govern and pass legislation, leading to potential political gridlock.
Despite the RN’s failure to win as many seats as anticipated, the party made significant gains compared to previous elections. RN leader Jordan Bardella criticized the cooperation between the left and centrist alliances to form a unified front against the RN, calling it a “disgraceful alliance” that would paralyze the country. Marine Le Pen, who is expected to be the RN’s candidate for the 2027 presidential election, remained optimistic, suggesting that the party’s ultimate victory had only been delayed.
Macron’s administration now faces a challenging period of negotiation and compromise. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced his resignation but will remain in a caretaker role until a new government is formed. The possibility of forming a broad cross-party coalition has been suggested by some within Macron’s camp, but there is resistance to including the far-left France Unbowed (LFI).
The leftist alliance’s ability to maintain unity will be crucial in the coming months. Mélenchon ruled out a broad coalition with parties of different ideologies, while other leftist leaders called for dialogue and cooperation within their ranks to navigate the divided parliament.
The election outcome underscores the dissatisfaction among French voters with the current state of affairs, including issues like the cost of living, immigration, and security. Le Pen’s party capitalized on these grievances, extending their appeal beyond traditional strongholds, yet it was insufficient to secure power.
As official results continue to be tallied, France faces a period of political uncertainty. The fragmented parliament will need to find ways to work together to address the pressing issues facing the nation, despite deep ideological divides.
