French Left Set for Shock Victory Over Macron and Le Pen

Pollsters release initial projections after voting closes
Le Pen’s far-right party had been forecast to win most seats

WATCH: France looks headed for political instability after a surprise win by a left-wing coalition in Sunday’s legislative election offered no party a path to claim the majority needed to govern. Caroline Connan explains what comes next.Source: Bloomberg

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By Ania Nussbaum, Samy Adghirni, and William Horobin

July 7, 2024 at 2:01 PM EDT

Updated on

July 7, 2024 at 3:31 PM EDT

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A left-wing coalition is on course to win the most seats in France’s legislative election in a surprise blow to far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who had hoped to form the next government.

The New Popular Front, which includes the Socialists and far-left France Unbowed, is poised to get between 172 and 210 seats in the National Assembly, according to early projections from five polling companies. That’s still far short of the 289 required for an absolute majority in the 577-seat lower house.