Violence has broken out on the streets of France following a surprise exit poll indicating that the New Popular Front, a coalition of far Left activists, environmentalists, Islamists and socialist has-beens like Francois Hollande, is heading for victory, dealing a blow to Marine Le Pen’s ambition to form the country’s next government. Among the NPF’s policies are lowering the retirement age from 64 to 60, raising the minimum wage, introducing price caps on food, gas and other essentials, increasing business taxes, restoring the wealth tax abolished by Macron and hiking up inheritance tax. The Mail has more.
Shocking footage shows hooded and masked protesters running through the streets, launching flares and setting France ablaze – after 30,000 riot police were deployed across France amid high political tension.
Baton-wielding police were seen racing around to stop outbreaks of violence, including in Place de la Republique in Paris and at demonstrations in Nantes, Lyon, Marseille and Rennes.
Firefighters were seen desperately trying to put flames out with fire extinguishers, while a riot police officer was seen being dragged away by colleagues after hitting the floor.
At this stage, it is not clear who is clashing with police. But it comes after the second round of polls predicted the hard-Right National Rally (RN) is on track to come third – having led the race after the first round.
The New Popular Front (NFP) alliance is on course to have 172-215 MPs with Emmanuel Macron’s centrists on 150-180 seats and the RN on 115-155, according to projections by four leading polling firms.
Veteran Presidential candidate Le Pen’s RN led the race after the June 30th first round, with opinion polls predicting that she would lead the biggest party in Parliament, but projections for the party were much lower than anticipated.
The New Popular Front (NFP) was formed last month, bringing together socialists, greens, communists and the hard-Left into one camp – but while it leads in the exit polls, it does not have enough seats for a majority.
The lack of majority for any single alliance has plunged France into political and economic turmoil. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said he would offer Macron his resignation on Monday but was ready to serve “as long as duty demands”, notably in light of the imminent Games.
Some 30,000 riot police – including 5,000 in and around Paris – have been deployed to “ensure that the radical Right and radical Left do not take advantage of the situation to cause mayhem”, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said.
France now faces the prospect of weeks of political machinations to determine who will be Prime Minister and lead the National Assembly.
And Macron faces the prospect of leading the country alongside a Prime Minister opposed to most of his domestic policies.
In a sombre speech after the second-round legislative election, Jordan Bardella, the President of the far-Right RN, denounced the political manoeuvring that led the National Rally to fall far short of expectations.
An unprecedented number of candidates who qualified for the runoff stepped aside to allow an opponent to go head-to-head with the National Rally candidate, increasing the chances of defeating them.
Despite projections widely considered disappointing for the anti-immigration, nationalist party, it still increased its seat count in Parliament to an unprecedented high, according to polling projections.
“Tonight, by deliberately taking the responsibility to paralyse our institutions, Emmanuel Macron… is consequently depriving the French people of any responses to their daily problems for many months to come,” Bardella said.
Hard-Left France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, giving his first reaction, called on French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to resign and said the Left-wing coalition was ready to govern.
“The French people have voted with a conscience,” said Melenchon, a former Presidential candidate and one of the main leaders of the NPF. “Our people have clearly ruled out the worst solution to our problems.”
Melenchon welcomed “a result that had seemed impossible”, adding: “This evening the RN is far from having an absolute majority. This is a huge relief for millions of people who make up the new France.”
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