None of the political blocs obtains a majority in the National Assembly, according to initial estimates. The New Popular Front comes out on top in the second round of the legislative elections on Sunday, July 7, with between 177 and 192 seats, according to the latest Ipsos/Talan estimate for Radio France and France Télévisions. The presidential camp (Ensemble) is credited with 152 to 158 seats. The National Rally and its allies obtain 138 to 145 deputies. The Republicans and various right-wing parties obtain 63 to 68 seats. Turnout for this second round is 67.1%, a record rate since 1997.
The New Popular Front
Jean-Luc Mélenchon (LFI) spoke first after the results were announced, shortly after 8 p.m. La France Insoumise obtained between 68 and 74 in the National Assembly. “It’s a huge relief.” “Our people have clearly ruled out the worst-case scenario for them, tonight the RN is far from having an absolute majority.”declared the figure of La France Insoumise. “The Prime Minister must go, the President has the power and the duty to call the New Popular Front to govern.”
The coordinator of France Insoumise, Manuel BompardDeclare that “It’s a vote of rejection of Emmanuel Macron’s policy and it’s a defeat for the RN, so yes of course, it’s a victory for the New Popular Front.” Seine-Saint-Denis MP Clémentine Autain is calling on left-wing MPs to meet on Monday to propose a Prime Minister.
Following the second round of early legislative elections, the national secretary of the French Communist Party, Fabien Rousselestimates on the social network X that “This July 7 will go down in history.” “The French have thwarted the predicted scenario. I am proud of our people. Let’s respond to their aspirations. It is urgent!”he wrote.
The Secretary General of the Ecologists, Marine Tondelierspoke of a “Very good news”. “Tonight social justice has won, environmental justice, and the people have won, and it’s only just begun. Tonight we have won, we know why, we know thanks to whom and we know how.”
Raphael Glucksmannthe PS MEP – Place publique congratulated himself on France 2: “Our country will not be governed by the extreme right”. “We are leading in a divided Assembly, we will have to dialogue,” he added.
Olivier FaureFirst Secretary of the PS, greets “the victory of the New Popular Front”, “this vote gives the NFP an immense responsibility to find a way to move France forward”. “We will not lend ourselves to any coalition of opposites that would betray the vote of the French people”.
The former President of the Republic, Francois Hollandeelected in Corrèze, recognized that “in this constituency, and beyond, victory was achieved.” He wanted to thank “all the parties of the left who understood what the meaning of this approach was.” He also evokes “women and men who are not left-wing, but who wanted, through their vote, to ensure that the result was clear, limpid, incontestable.”
From his constituency in Flixecourt, Francois Ruffinre-elected outgoing MP from the Picardie Debout party, declared “notWe did it, we won it.”There is no inevitability, we won, […] not only here, but also in the country. Tonight, hope is reborn.” François Ruffin, however, calls for caution, “beware of illusions”while in Picardy, “we have 13 out of 17 deputies in the National Rally.”
The presidential camp
The Prime Minister Gabriel Attal reacted from Matignon shortly after 9 p.m. “Tonight, no absolute majority can be led by the extremes”. “Our movement is alive and well, we have held on and we are standing”. “A new era begins, the center of gravity of power will be more than ever in Parliament”he added. Re-elected as a deputy in Hauts-de-Seine, Gabriel Attal declared that he would submit his resignation to the President of the Republic on Monday morning.
The minister of the Interior, Gerald Darmaninre-elected in the North, declares that “No one can say he won” these elections, “especially not Mr. Mélenchon.”
Sacha Houlieoutgoing Ensemble MP re-elected in Vienne in the second round, reacts to X: “In many constituencies, the Republican barrier has fully functioned. France also has a new face and clearly social democracy has an essential place in the political life of our country. I will draw the consequences.”
Francois Bayroumayor of Pau and president of MoDem: “It is the President of the Republic who will appoint the Prime Minister,” recalls François Bayrou. Emmanuel Macron will wait for the “structuring” of the new Assembly for “make the necessary decisions” the Elysée Palace announced. The president of the MoDem believes that it is“It is unimaginable that the new Popular Front will have any majority whatsoever” to govern after the second round. “Nobody won”, he emphasizes, believing that the voters first voted in the second round to prevent the National Rally from having an absolute majority.
For Elisabeth Borneformer Prime Minister, re-elected in Calvados, “We will have to build compromises for our citizens.” “We must all work together more than ever.”adds the former Prime Minister, “The anger expressed by citizens is a challenge […] We need to respond more effectively and more quickly.”
Edouard Philippeformer Prime Minister and Mayor of Le Havre, declares that“There is still an overwhelming majority in our country who do not want the RN.” But “the absence of a majority and the absence of a government would expose the French to terrible dangers, the credibility of our country could be affected”, he adds. “The centrist forces have their responsibility,” said the former Prime Minister who is calling for a “agreement” between political forces, but without France Insoumise.
The National Rally and its allies
Jordan Bardellapresident of the National Rally, holds “to thank the republican surge”, but castigate them “unnatural political alliances”. He emphasizes that “The RN is today making the most important breakthrough in its entire history.” For him, “The alliance of dishonour deprives the French of a policy of recovery this evening”. “A wind of hope has risen”says Jordan Bardella, “I’ll be there for you, tonight it all starts.”
Marine Le Penre-elected RN MP for Pas-de-Calais in the first round last Sunday, notes the progress of her camp “faced with a total coalition of all movements ranging from LR to LFI”. For her, “The tide is rising, it has not risen high enough this time, but it continues to rise and, therefore, our victory is only delayed.” Her sister Marie-Caroline Le Pen, also RN, was narrowly beaten in the 4th constituency of Sarthe by the candidate of the New Popular Front, the outgoing deputy Elise Leboucher (LFI), elected with 50.23% of the vote.
For Louis Aliotfirst vice-president of the RN and mayor of Perpignan, in the Pyrénées-Orientales, “There is no majority, we preferred chaos”. “I think that in a year, we will vote again, because France will be ungovernable”His party is the third largest force in the newly elected Assembly, according to initial estimates.
Eric Ciottiwho allied himself with the National Rally for the legislative elections, indicates on X that he is “re-elected in the first constituency of the Alpes-Maritimes. Thank you to the people of Nice who have placed their trust in me once again!”
The Republicans and the Right
In a message published on X on Sunday evening, the president of the Les Républicains group in the Senate, Bruno Retailleauestimate that “Tonight, Emmanuel Macron is the hostage of the left and the French with him”and despite a fourth place, his party is “better than resisting”. “The alliance between the presidential camp and the Popular Front led to the victory of the left, in a France that is nevertheless predominantly right-wing,” writes the senator from Vendée.
In a video posted on X on Sunday evening, the mayor of Puy-en-Velay and president of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Laurent Wauquiezassures that there will be no “neither coalition nor compromise” from LR. Elected deputy in the 1st constituency of the Loire, he says “to measure the extent to which the French, after these results, are worried about the future.”
The Mayor of Cannes David Lisnard estimates in a publication X that “it is by a new liberal and popular project that the right can win and put the country back in order.” “Our duty of hope is there”he adds.
On X, Xavier Bertrandthe LR president of the Hauts-de-France region, addresses his “Congratulations to all our candidates Les Republicans elected this evening who stood firm in the face of betrayals and ill winds”. “Our deputies, rooted, will be at the heart of decisions in the National Assembly and will embody a 100% republican right that will fight above all for the French people”he adds.