Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THE NEW POPULAR FRONT left alliance has come out on top in the second round of voting in the French parliamentary elections, winning a predicted 172-192 seats in the National Assembly, according to projections.
President Emmanuel Macron’s Ensemble group is set to win 150-170 seats. The far-right alliance dominated by the National Rally came in third place with a projected 132-152 seats, while the conservative Republicans are predicted to win between 57 and 67 seats.
No group has won an outright majority, which requires at least 289 of the Assembly’s 577 seats.
The victory for the French left over the National Rally (RN) means France has decided against being governed by the far-right, something polls and the first round vote had indicated was a distinct possibility.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of the largest party in the NFP, called on Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to resign in his victory speech.
“Our people have clearly rejected the worst-case scenario,” said the three-time presidential candidate of the France Unbowed party. “The prime minister has to go… The New Popular Front is ready to govern.”
Prime Minister Attal has since said that he will offer Macron his resignation tomorrow.
But he added that, if his resignation is refused, he was ready to remain in office “as long as duty demands”, with the Paris Olympics due to begin in three weeks.
It is unclear who might be the left alliance’s top candidate to be prime minister, with Melenchon a divisive figure even among some supporters of his own party.
The leader of the Socialist Party (PS) Olivier Faure urged “democracy” within the left-wing alliance so they could work together.
“To move forward together we need democracy within our ranks,” he said.
“No outside remarks will come and impose themselves on us,” he said in a thinly veiled criticism of Melenchon.
Raphael Glucksmann, co-president of the smaller pro-European Place Publique party in the alliance, said everyone was going to have to “behave like adults”.
In the projections, “we’re ahead, but in a divided parliament… so people are going to have to behave like adults,” he said.
“People are going to have to talk to each other.”
Nous avons arraché un résultat qu'on nous disait impossible.
— Jean-Luc Mélenchon (@JLMelenchon) July 7, 2024
Notre peuple a clairement refusé la solution du pire pour lui. Le RN est loin de la majorité absolue que certains lui prédisaient.
C'est un immense soulagement pour la Nouvelle France.#ElectionsLegislatives2024 pic.twitter.com/atALba1kR3
Today’s second round of voting saw another large turnout, with almost 60% of the electorate having cast their votes by 5pm local time today, putting it on track to be the highest in four decades.
The mood in France has been tense, with 30,000 police deployed to head off trouble and many voters worrying over the outcome of the election.
There were scenes of jubilation on the streets of Paris when the projections, which are based on samples of ballots, were announced.
The snap National Assembly elections were called by President Emmanuel Macron following a decisive defeat to the RN in European Parliamentary elections last month, to the shock of many of his supporters and colleagues.
The NFP was quickly formed following Macron’s shock dissolution of the National Assembly and is composed of parties from the Communists and France Unbowed on the left and the Socialists, who are the traditional centre-left party. The grouping also includes the Green Party.
Following the RN’s success in the first round, political parties on the far left and in the centre had formed what is known as a Republican Front, withdrawing candidates from three-way races in today’s second round, with the aim of keeping far-right candidates out.
RN party leader Jordan Bardella slammed “an alliance of dishonour” between President Emmanuel Macron’s centrists and the left.
While hailing the “most important breakthrough of all its (the RN’s) history”, he told supporters that “these electoral pacts have thrown France into the arms of the extreme left.”
The party’s three-time presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said the RN’s rise to power had only been “delayed.”
“The tide is rising. It did not rise high enough this time, but it continues to rise and, consequently, our victory has only been delayed,” Le Pen said.
The NFP has promised to increase taxes on the wealthy and introduce taxes on windfall profits for businesses, with the aim of reversing Macron’s increase to the retirement age and funding social services.
The centre-left influence can be seen in the area of foreign policy, where the group says it will maintain support for Ukraine.
The NFP has said it wants a “total break” from Macron’s economic policies.
The alliance of parties on the left has pledged to raise €30 billion a year from taxing businesses and the rich, promising to use the money to reverse Macron’s deeply unpopular pension reform that raised the retirement age from 62 to 64.
The group wants to increase benefits and civil service wages, impose price controls on some essential goods, lower the retirement age to 60 and index pensions to wages. They also want to increase the minimum wage by 15%.
The alliance aims to bring in the €30 billion from its new tax policies.
With reporting from AFP
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Lots of companies saying that they will support work from home forever, which is fine when everyone else is at home too, but definitely a challenge once more colleagues return to the office. No fun when you’re the only one at home struggling to get a word in at the team meeting and messaging your boss to remind them to dial into the Video call so that you can participate. I’ve enjoyed working from home but there’s definitely a layer of Innovation and collaboration that’s missing when you’re not in the office environment.
@OnlyHereForTheComments: agree with everything you’ve said!
People learn from people how can they do that from there bedroom no interacting. My business is is distribution I’ve worked every day during supposed COVID. Get people back to work you don’t see people dying at the tills in Lidl or Tesco….
@Brian Corr: If your business is transportation would it not help if he traffic volume is lower
@Brian Corr: I’ve former work mates who run training for new starters and they say its been a nightmare at times trying to teach, it’s gotten to a point where they requested that they do in person training with new starters in the office once a week. People don’t realise when you start a new Job its just not the some doing training over zoom compared to in person. We will eventually have to take the covid training wheel’s off and at least make it an option. Other wise companies will eventually find ways around it like some did in relation to opening under the now joke of essential
@Brian Corr: supposed covid?
@Brian Corr: My skillset has increased dramatically since ive been working from home, has nothing got to do with interaction, but with how you manage yourself and your workliad…. Eveyone in the team is full time from home now and the productivity has never been better.
@Dave: Massive difference between existing staff upskilling and new staff trying to get up to speed with everyone else. I work in animation and its been a nightmare for new crew, they’ve struggled to get up to speed with everyone else and manage their time working alone at home, as result we’ve had awful mental health issues for some and no matter how much support we give its no were near the same as sitting next to a more senior crew member and just watching them work and being able to ask questions as they go rather then via a chat window. I’ve worked freelance for big chunks of my career so well able to work from home/remote but I don’t think I’d be were I am career wise if I had to work remote from day 01.
Just look at the traffic on the roads in the morning & evening there are lots more back working in offices now since all the schools opened,
Mícheál will say this
Leo will say that
Donnelly will say anything to grab a headline
And Eamon will sleep through it all
@trebloc01: Sush…..you will wake Eamon
I might be mistaken but I read in the NY Times that pretty much all the tech giants are giving their employees notice that they intend on bringing them back to the office.
@Robert Clifford:
No, not the case. In fact, lowering office footprint and costs is now a KPI and will be seen on P&L’s long into future
@Robert Clifford: it doesn’t surprise me, the option to maybe work from home some days will be there but this fantasy that companies especially tech giants would suddenly turn round after spending so much investing in office spaces etc for its operations, was then gonna turn round and tell everyone nah you fine folks work away from home. As I said some maybe offered the option, it might even suit some to work from home, but I see plenty coming back maybe doing a blended week of home and office
@Tarraing Mo Liathróidí:
Shareholders demand savings were possible.
@Robert Clifford: Not the case, i work for one and everyone has been givi g the option to work remotely full time if they choose to do so.
I already know some office’s already back working, one cos the power trip mad supervisor didn’t like not being able to look over everyone’s shoulders so convinced management it was safe, but the others is simply cos the staff needed to return to do in person training with new starters. Anyone who’s done training or given it will have different opinions but the majority will say its easier in person for both parties. In my old company WFH was allowed after a year with the company and usually involved doing it every Friday and Monday and then in the office Tuesday to Thursday, which I liked. Some will want to do WFH all the time but for me who doesn’t have the space for a permanent office will be nice to have the choice or balance for half and half working between the office and home
@Tarraing Mo Liathróidí: yeah I’m back since August last year and I’m sure a lot more are too even when we could easily work from home.
@chiqey: ya it amazes me how some think just cos these places are told to work from home, many will stick to it. Once companies can find ways round or deem it essential, people will not have a choice in cases despite all the fanfare from the media and government, promoting the whole WFH gig. Simple fact is some will get a choice to WFH, but plenty will be brought back and very little choice will be given since there is no real laws protecting staff, if companies bringing staff back to an office is deemed essential. And you will hardly go complaining to authorities about this if ya wanna keep your job as one of my friends was told when she was made go back to the office
Im starting a new job today where i have to go in. I’ve been working from home for over a year and my nerves are shot. In saying that..be nice to have someone other then the dog to talk to all day.
@Trish O’Leary-Dunne: best of luck in the new job
@Trish O’Leary-Dunne: poor dog will be lonely having gotten used to your company
I’ve just started a new job remotely and it’s very challenging. I’m looking forward to going back to the office, at least part-time.
Did the same 6 months ago. Absolute disaster. You don’t meet your colleagues or clients except virtually.
The tax system will have to change to suit remote/home workers also. Can we have this debate?
What would you change?
@Liam Collins:
Working from home, abroad.
Would you think it would lead to massive outsourcing of jobs.
Also lot of jobs salary are based on cost of living in your area.if working in area where cost of living is lower should a salary show this.
And who exactly is pushing for this?
Pension funds and small enterprises will not want people WFH – they will be in the ear of all ministers
have your say