The leader of France’s populist right-wing party National Rally has criticised an “alliance of dishonour” between Emmanuel Macron and a left-wing coalition after shock polling showed the left looks set to win the most seats in parliament. Jordan Bardella blamed the French president for “pushing France into uncertainty and instability”.
In a sombre speech after the second-round vote on Sunday (July 7), Mr Bardella denounced the political manoeuvring which he said led National Rally (RN) to fall far short of expectations.
An unprecedented number of candidates who qualified for the run-off had stepped aside to allow an opponent to go head-to-head with the National Rally candidate, increasing the chances of beating them.
The anti-immigration, nationalist party will still increase its seat count in parliament to an unprecedented high, according to polling projections, although no party won a majority.
Mr Bardella, in comments translated from French, wrote on X: “We will stand alongside the French people, ready to assume our responsibilities. I will be there, for you, with you, until victory.”
He added: “I would like to thank the voters of the RN and its allies, their constancy, their serenity in the face of caricatures. Unfortunately, the alliance of dishonour between Mr Macron and [left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon] this evening throws France into the arms of the extreme left.”
Mr Mélenchon said the surprise results of the legislative elections were an “immense relief for a majority of people” in France. He also demanded the resignation of the French prime minister Gabriel Attal.
Polling projections said a coalition on the left which came together ahead of France’s snap elections won the most parliamentary seats.
The surprise projections put Mr Macron’s centrist alliance in second and the far right in third. The lack of a majority for any single alliance has plunged France into political turmoil.
Final results are not expected until late on Sunday or early Monday in an election called just four weeks ago in what many have said was a huge gamble for Mr Macron, who the projections show has lost control of parliament.
France now faces the prospect of weeks of political machinations to determine who will become prime minister and lead the National Assembly.
Mr Macron faces the prospect of leading the country alongside a prime minister opposed to most of his domestic policies.
Many of Mr Macron’s centrist political allies were furious at his decision to call the elections just three weeks after the far-right National Rally trounced his party in European elections. They feared the centrist coalition will be wiped out in favour of right and left-wing extremes.
The first-round vote on June 30 saw major gains for the National Rally, potentially putting the far right in a position to govern France for the first time since World War II.
