Le Pen's far-right 'fail to win majority' as Macron's PM offers resignation after heavy losses
7 July 2024, 20:12 | Updated: 7 July 2024, 21:54
France's far-right National Rally party is projected to finish third in parliamentary elections - defying expectations that Marine Le Pen's bloc would win an outright majority.
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French media exit polls are predicting that a left-wing coalition led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon will be the largest bloc in the parliament.
If borne out, the result is a shock result that will bruise the right-wing populists.
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An exit poll conducted by Ipsos-Talan for France Televisions and Radio France said that the left-wing New Popular Front is set to win between 172 and 192 seats.
Emmanuel Macron's centrist Ensemble is projected to win between 150 and 170 seats - a loss of 100 but stronger than expected.
Le Pen's anti-immigration National Rally is projected to finish third with between 132 and 152 seats.
It would prove a victory for anti-Le Pen candidates who stood down to not split the vote.
French President Emmanuel Macron took a huge gamble in dissolving parliament and calling for the elections after his centrists were trounced in European elections on June 9.
But despite the semi-vindication of the strategy, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, of Macron's coalition, has offered the president his resignation.
He said: "Being prime minister is the honor of my life.
"In keeping with republican tradition, I will tender my resignation to the president of the Republic tomorrow morning."
The snap elections in this nuclear-armed nation will influence the war in Ukraine, global diplomacy and Europe's economic stability.
The first round on June 30 saw the largest gains ever for the anti-immigration, nationalist National Rally (RN), led by Marine Le Pen.
A bit over 49 million people are registered to vote in the elections, which will determine which party controls the 577-member National Assembly, France's influential lower house of parliament, and who will be prime minister.
Across France, 77 far-right candidates secured seats in the first round, including 39 from her National Rally and 32 from the leftist New Popular Front alliance.
Two candidates from Mr Macron's centrists list also won their seats in the first round.
The elections wrapped up on Sunday at 6pm.
After RN emerged from the first round of voting as the leading party, centrist and leftist parties agreed to withdraw 221 candidates, including 83 from President Macron's camp and 132 from the NFP, in order to avoid three-way run-offs.
Jean-Luc Melenchon, who leads the left-wing bloc said exit projections were an "immense relief for a majority of people in our country".
"We saved the Republic. The New Popular Front is ready to govern.
"And, after all, it's the only alternative which has got a very organised programme and a very detailed programme."
Marine Le Pen said the far-right's victory had "merely been delayed" and that she "sees the seeds of tomorrow's victory in today's result".
Jordan Bardella, president of National Rally, said: "We've been thrown into the arms of the extreme left and of Jean-Luc Melenchon.
"I know how many millions of French people must be frustrated."
