France’s left-wing New Popular Front surprises all with a win. Who’s who in the alliance?

First the right. Now the left. We aren’t talking about road directions but the French parliamentary elections that have been nothing short of a political rollercoaster. After voting came to an end on Sunday (July 7) in the second round of the polls, an alliance of French left-wing parties, known as the New Popular Front (NPF), emerged as the surprising victor, plunging France into new political uncertainty.

According to the polls , the NFP has emerged victorious with an expected 182 MPs in the 577-seat Assembly. Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Together coalition will have 163 seats, while Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) and its allies, who last week were eyeing a majority , will bag 143.

However, none of the groups are close to the 289 seats needed to secure an absolute majority and it is yet to be seen how a new government can be formed.

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The leftist coalition headed by firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon speaking after the results said: “With this vote, the majority has made a different choice for the country. The will of the people must henceforth be strictly respected,” he said, adding: “The New Front Popular is ready to govern.”

But what is the NFP, what does it stand for, and who are its key players?

Who makes up the NFP?

The NFP is a last-minute coalition born out of necessity and was formed just days after President Emmanuel Macron called a snap parliamentary election in the wake of his centrist party’s defeat to Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party in last month’s European Parliament election.

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The NFP is made up of the far-left France Unbowed party (LFI); the more moderate Socialist Party; the green Ecologist party; the French Communist Party; the centre-left Place Publique, and other small parties.

In the first round of voting on June 30, the NPF came in second with 28 per cent of the votes, while the National Rally forged Ahead with 33 per cent. Macron’s centrist alliance secured only 21 per cent.

Who’s in charge of the NFP?

Now, this is a tricky question. After the initial results were announced on Sunday (July 7), the partners in the coalition celebrated their success at their respective headquarters rather than together.

However, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the head of the France Unbowed party that secured 74 seats, is the NFP’s most popular leader and even its most divisive leader. The 72-year-old politician has had a long career in politics: he became a senator at the age of 35, an EU lawmaker in 2009, and finished third place behind Macron and Le Pen in the 2022 presidential election.

Mélenchon though known isn’t a popular choice with the public though. A recent survey of French Jewish voters by Ifop revealed that 57 per cent said they would leave France if Mélenchon’s party were to govern.

Another choice could be Raphaël Glucksmann, the moderate leader of Place Publique and a member of the European Parliament. However, earlier he ruled himself out of the running for the post of prime minister, but also said that he did not want Mélenchon in the role.

There’s also Green Party leader Marine Tondelier, who emerged as one of the most prominent voices in the left-wing campaign during the election. The 37-year-old, who hails from the RN-run northern city of Hénin Beaumont, has been profiled by several media outlets and her green blazer even has its own social media following.

What are the NFP’s policies?

The NFP’s policies are clearly influenced by that of the hard-left LFI. It vows to reverse Macron’s controversial pension reforms and return the retirement age to 60. In 2023, Macron passed a law that raised the retirement age from 62 to 64 with a requirement that the retiree has worked at least 43 years.

The NFP has also promised to raise the minimum monthly wage to 1,600 euros (more than $1,700) and to cap the price of essential foods, electricity, fuel and gas. It also aims to raise the minimum wage and fund 500,000 childcare places. Moreover, it has vowed for legislation on carbon neutrality by 2050 and reform the EU’s common agriculture policy.

When it comes to international affairs, the NFP has said it would demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, recognise the state of Palestine, “halt Moscow’s war of aggression” in Ukraine, keep supplying arms to Kyiv and “unfailingly defend the sovereignty and freedom of the Ukrainian people”.

The Guardian reports Mélenchon himself has been known to make many Moscow-friendly statements, but has moderated his stance following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

How strong is the coalition?

The constituents of the NFP had come together following the 2022 presidential elections. However, it collapsed last year owing to Mélenchon’s domineering character and radical stances. Also, the coalition members have deep policy differences on the matter of the Russia-Ukraine war, the war in Gaza and the position of France in the European Union.

The Mélenchon-led party had refused to refer to Hamas as a terrorist group in the aftermath of last year’s attack in October.

What comes next for the NFP?

The NFP hasn’t secured the majority mark and hence will have to seek an alliance with Macron’s centrist allies. However, this could lead France to head towards a political gridlock with just weeks until Paris is set to host the Olympics .

Macron, on the other hand, still seems to be mulling his options. France24 citing his aides reported that Macron has said he is “waiting for the National Assembly to organise itself” before he makes any decisions as to who he’ll appoint as prime minister. Current Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said Sunday night that he would be offering Macron his resignation in the morning.

Just who is going to take his place has become the question that will define the weeks to come. The NFP has been steadfast in its refusal to name a candidate throughout the campaign, saying that the final decision will be made by a consensus among the different left-wing forces once their position in the National Assembly becomes clear.

With inputs from agencies