France elections: Left wing coalition defeats Macron and Far right

Shafaq News/ Preliminary estimates from the French legislative elections have delivered a significant twist, with the Left Alliance leading in the second round and President Emmanuel Macron's camp securing second place, surpassing the far-right bloc yet falling short of an outright majority in the National Assembly.

The "New Popular Front" is projected to secure between 172 to 215 seats, while Macron's coalition is expected to claim 150 to 180 seats. The National Rally party, initially anticipated to secure a majority, is estimated to win between 115 to 155 seats.

These results position the New Popular Front for an unexpected victory over the right-wing National Rally party despite not securing an absolute parliamentary majority.

Meanwhile, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the French Left Coalition, declared today, Sunday, that outgoing President Emmanuel Macron should "call upon left-wing parties to form the government."

Mélenchon commented following the announcement of preliminary results indicating the Left Coalition's gains in the French elections, stating, "Macron has been defeated, and he must acknowledge that."

He continued, asserting that "Macron must accept defeat without trying to evade it," and added, "Macron's defeat is unequivocally confirmed."

Mélenchon stressed that "the will of the people must be strictly respected now," affirming that "the far right falls short in offering adequate solutions to citizens."

President Emmanuel Macron's centrist alliance narrowly edged ahead of Marine Le Pen's National Rally party in the race for second place, according to these surveys.

To secure an absolute majority in the National Assembly, any coalition needs to obtain 289 seats, making it the lower house of the French parliament.