In a surprising move, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a snap election for the National Assembly after a defeat to Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party in a European parliamentary election. This led to the formation of a left-wing alliance called the New Popular Front to combat the rise of the far right.
The New Popular Front, consisting of main left-wing parties, reunited after initial disagreements and came in second in the first round of voting, close behind the National Rally. The group took steps to prevent the far right from gaining an absolute majority, including forming a “Republican front” to urge candidates to withdraw from three-way races.
Despite internal conflicts and past disagreements, the left-wing alliance drafted a comprehensive platform focusing on raising the minimum wage, lowering the retirement age, and addressing issues like asylum, antisemitism, and Islamophobia. However, their chances of winning the election remain uncertain, with the National Rally expected to win the most seats.
Critics, including President Macron, have raised concerns about the alliance’s association with the far left and its leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, known for incendiary rhetoric and accusations of antisemitism. The outcome of the election and the effectiveness of the resistance to the far right are yet to be determined, with conflicting views on the New Popular Front’s impact on French politics.
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