Last week, France entered a frightening new era with Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party’s historic victory in the first round of parliamentary elections, the most unprecedented victory for a far-right party in France since World War II.
But then the fight back began: France’s left-wing parties, from the Greens to the Socialists, banded together to urge their supporters to vote strategically, even going so far as to withdraw candidates to avoid splitting political loyalties.
And French voters responded: A left-wing party won the final vote, a relief for many who had worried about what a far-right party coming to power would mean for France.
But what does this mean for the country’s political system? Who will be the new prime minister, and will the left-wing coalition hold up?
Angelique Christopher tell Michael Safi How the left won, what it means for Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party, and whether fending off the far right could lead to political deadlock.
Photo: Tom Nicholson/REX/Shutterstock
