In a surprising turn of events, a coalition of left-wing parties in France emerged victorious in the parliamentary elections, beating out both the far-right party led by Marine Le Pen and President Emmanuel Macron’s ruling center-left coalition. The New Popular Front (NFP), formed just last month, brought together various left-wing parties to secure a lead in the polls, although not an absolute majority. This outcome marks a significant setback for Le Pen’s National Rally (RN), which was initially predicted to lead the parliament.
Macron’s centrist alliance, while facing a decrease in members of parliament, fared better than expected. The results suggest a potential political crisis in France as no group secured a clear majority. The election outcome also has implications for Ukraine, with a right-wing government in Paris potentially halting discussions on French troop deployments and limiting support for Kyiv.