France Elections

July 16, 2024 3:23 PM

French left fights over PM role, with current government set to resign

France's left-wing parties fought bitterly on Tuesday over who to put forward as prime minister, leading Communist party leader Fabien Roussel to warn they were risking a "shipwreck" despite their election success. President Emmanuel Macron was likely to accept the resignation of his current government, led by centrist Gabriel Attal, to enable ministers who were elected as lawmakers to sit in parliament when it convenes on Thursday. The New Popular Front (NFP), an alliance ranging from soc...

July 15, 2024 11:12 PM

French left targets speaker role as struggles to form government

Some lawmakers in France's left-wing bloc said they should focus on winning the speaker's role to show they have command over parliament even though they are well short of a majority and are struggling to form a government after a snap election. Thursday, when the newly elected National Assembly is due to convene for the first time, is the next big date in France's political saga, which was precipitated by President Emmanuel Macron's decision to call the vote. Lawmakers are due then to elect t...

July 7, 2024 3:42 PM

France votes, with far right seeking power

France voted on Sunday in a parliamentary run-off election with the far-right National Rally (RN) bidding for power but likely to fall short of a majority, raising the spectre of a chaotic hung parliament. A hung parliament would severely dent President Emmanuel Macron's authority and herald a prolonged period of instability and policy deadlock in the euro zone's second biggest economy. Should the nationalist, eurosceptic RN secure a majority, it would usher in France's first far-right gove...

July 4, 2024 12:09 PM

As France votes, Europe holds its breath

When President Emmanuel Macron shocked France last month by calling a snap election, he was gambling with the future of Europe as well as his own country. While much depends on the second round of voting on Sunday, it already seems clear that Macron's role as a driver of European integration will be significantly diminished. The two most likely scenarios – a government led by the far-right National Rally (RN) of Marine Le Pen or a hung parliament – would present unprecedented challenges fo...

June 23, 2024 5:35 PM

France’s far right National Rally still leading ahead of election, poll shows

France's far right National Rally (RN) party and its allies are seen leading the first round of the country's parliamentary elections with 35.5% of the vote, according to a poll published Sunday. The Ipsos survey - conducted for Le Parisien newspaper and Radio France on June 19-20 - showed the left-wing New Popular Front (NPF) alliance in second place with 29.5% of the vote. President Emmanuel Macron's centrist alliance was seen in third place, winning 19.5% of votes. The turnout rate is seen...