French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Wednesday that it is "out of the question" to govern with the France Unbowed Party (far left) after the legislative elections, despite the withdrawal of presidential camp candidates in favor of the left coalition "New Popular Front" to block the far-right. During a cabinet session, he stated, according to several participants, that "the withdrawal today in favor of left candidates to confront the National Rally does not mean governing tomorrow with France Unbowed." He added, "This is not an option."
In a message on X, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal confirmed that "there is no and there will be no alliance with France Unbowed." Government spokesperson Priska Tivino concluded the cabinet meeting by stating, "Withdrawal does not mean an alliance or concession." She emphasized that "fighting the National Rally today does not mean allying with France Unbowed tomorrow," pointing to potential divisions with other forces in the New Popular Front (Communists, Socialists, Greens) after the voting.
She continued, "Do we today consider that this electoral alliance has started to crumble within the left? I believe so," adding, "We cannot make France Unbowed the symbol of the left in France."
On Tuesday, the battle lines were drawn in France ahead of the second round of legislative elections, with over 210 left-wing or Macron camp candidates withdrawing in favor of their opponents to block the National Rally from gaining an absolute majority on Sunday. Most of the candidates withdrew from the left (127) or from Macron's camp (81), finishing third in the first round in districts where the National Rally was in the lead.
Overall, with more than 210 withdrawals recorded by AFP, only about a hundred candidates (three or four qualified candidates) remain from 311 last Sunday. Often, these withdrawals aim to prevent the National Rally and its allies from forming a historically significant government, as the far-right has not attained power in the country since World War II.
Three weeks after the political upheaval caused by Macron's announcement to dissolve the National Assembly, the French turned out in large numbers on Sunday for the first round of elections, the results of which are eagerly anticipated abroad. The National Rally (far right) and its allies finished at the top of the first-round results, receiving 33.14% of the votes (10.6 million votes). Thirty-nine deputies from this party were elected in the first round.
Thus, it surpassed the New Popular Front, which consists of the left (27.99%), while Macron's camp came in third by a significant margin (20.8%). The far right called on the French to grant it an absolute majority in the second round, with its young leader Jordan Bardella stating that the second round would be "one of the most decisive in the entirety of the history of the Fifth Republic," which was established in 1958.
