RIGHT NOW: Failure for Le Pen's party - the left is the biggest

France
Shock in the French election: The left is largest according to forecast

Nora Fernstedt

Updated 20.59 | Published 19.50

The French election took an unexpected turn.

The left-wing alliance NFP seems to be the largest.

Favorite tipped National collection first ends up in third place.

At 8 p.m., polling stations closed in the second round of the French parliamentary elections.

According to the forecasts, the left-wing alliance NFP will be the largest. According to the Ipsos polling station survey, they get between 172 and 192 seats in the national assembly.

- It is the result of a magnificent mobilization, said left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon in a speech shortly after the first election forecast was presented.

The left alliance was formed when President Macron announced new elections a month ago. It includes the Socialist Party, the left-wing party Unleashed France where Mélenchon is party leader, the green party Ecogolists and the French Communist Party.
Ekogolisterna och Franska kommunistpartiet.

 

"It is the result of a magnificent mobilization," says left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon
1 / 2Photo: Thomas Padilla/AP

"Must admit defeat"

Mélenchon calls on President Emmanuel Macron to let him form a government.

- The president must bow down and admit defeat, and the prime minister must resign, he says further.

Emmanuel Macron's center alliance Together comes second in the election, but not far behind the left alliance, and is predicted to get between 150 and 170 seats.

High-extreme National Collection is in third place, with 132 to 152 seats.

No group thus appears to get an absolute majority.

Högextrema Nationell samling ligger på tredje plats, med 132 till 152 platser.

Ingen grupp ser därmed ut att få absolut majoritet.

 

Happy reactions to the polling station survey.
1 / 2Photo: Jeremias Gonzalez/AP

"France is thrown into the arms of the extreme left"

28-year-old Jordan Bardella, party leader of the National Assembly, had hoped to become France's new prime minister. Now he had to address the voters instead after an unexpected election failure.

- France has been thrown into the arms of the extreme left, he said.

He condemned the "unnatural" alliances between the presidential camp and the left which, according to him, deprived the National Assembly and the French of a victory.

- I know how many millions of French people must be frustrated. This is only the beginning.

Highest turnout in 40 years

It is clear that it was an important choice for the French.

At 5 p.m., voter turnout was close to 60 percent – ​​the highest in 43 years, according to France24.

The political situation is tense, and many fear violence during the evening. 30,000 extra police officers have been called into the country.

 

Failure of Le Pen's National Assembly.
1 / 2Photo: Christophe Ena/AP

FACTS

It happens after the election

The new election to the National Assembly determines who becomes prime minister and gets to form a government - and cooperate with President Emmanuel Macron.

577 seats in the parliament are to be elected. For a majority, 289 mandates are required.

If there is no party with a clear mandate to govern, Macron could choose a government of experts unattached to political parties. Such a government would probably mostly administer the day-to-day work necessary to keep France going. However, such a solution would require parliamentary approval.

Macron could also have to seek a left-leaning prime minister.

If the post-election political talks take too long, Macron's centrist government could act as a transitional government over the summer and the Olympics.

Source: TT/AP