Who are the leaders of French left-wing coalition leading elections?
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Initial results show the left-wing coalition, New Popular Front, leading the French legislative elections. The coalition is made up of the Green Party, La France Insoumise, the Socialist Party, and the Communist Party.
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LFI founder Jean-Luc Melenchon, right, clenches his fist with other party members after the second round of the legislative elections on Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Paris. (AP)
Contrary to expectations and opinion polls from a few weeks ago that suggested the far-right coalition, National Rally, might lead in the French legislative elections, initial results from polling stations showed that the left-wing coalition, New Popular Front (NFP), is leading the elections. The presidential coalition, Ensemble, led by President Emmanuel Macron, is in second place, while the far-right National Rally is in third. No coalition secured an absolute majority in the French National Assembly elections.
According to initial voting results, the left-wing coalition NFP is expected to secure between 175 to 205 seats in parliament, while the Ensemble coalition is expected to win between 150 and 175 seats.
In third place, the far-right National Rally party, led by Jordan Bardella and Marine Le Pen, is expected to win between 115 and 150 seats in parliament.
What does the left-wing coalition in France consist of?
With the far-right French winning the European parliamentary elections last month, the left-wing parties united in a coalition led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
However, the leftist founder of the La France Insoumise party faced severe criticism for his stances regarding the war on Gaza, and some accused him of "antisemitism".
Following the coalition's leading election results, Mélenchon said, on Sunday, July 7, "We must recognize the State of Palestine."
Nous aurons un ou une Premier ministre du Nouveau Front Populaire.
— Jean-Luc Mélenchon (@JLMelenchon) July 7, 2024
Nous pourrons décider de nombreuses choses par décrets.
Sur le plan international, il faudra s'entendre pour reconnaître l'État de Palestine.#VictoireNFP pic.twitter.com/XYkzTk0zS4
This coalition has been perceived by some as weak, especially since it includes different party leaders. However, what reportedly united them was their opposition to Jordan Bardella from the National Rally and French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal.
Here is a look at some of the leaders of this alliance:
Green Party led by Marine Tondelier
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President of the Green Party Marine Tondelier speaks at Republique plaza during a protest against the far-right National Rally, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Paris. (AP)
Marine Tondelier, leader of the Green Party, emerged as one of the prominent voices in the left-wing campaign during these elections.
Early on, the 37-year-old candidate called on the NFP, in the face of the far-right, advocating a joint effort to withdraw candidates in the second round in favour of those best positioned to defeat the far-right.
Tondelier also confronted members of Macron's coalition, which she said resembles the far-right.
Tondelier has led the French Green Party since December 2022. She hails from the northern town of Hénin-Beaumont. Last week, she also remarked that the debates in these elections were "very male-dominated" after her participation in the final debate on BFMTV was cancelled in favor of individual interviews.
Many French newspapers have described Tondelier, recognizable by her signature green jacket, as a leading new voice for the left wing.
La France Insoumise led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon
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LFI Jean-Luc Melenchon, delivers his speech after the second round of the legislative elections Sunday, July 7, 2024 in Paris. (AP)
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a radical leftist, founded his current party La France Insoumise in 2016 before running for the presidency for the second time in the 2017 elections.
The 72-year-old politician has had a long career in politics: he became a member of the House of Representatives at the age of 35, a European legislator in 2009, and finished third behind Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen in the 2022 presidential election.
Socialist Party led by Olivier Faure
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Olivier Faure, First Secretary of the Socialist Party delivers a speech after the second round of the legislative elections, on Sunday, July 7, 2024, at their election night headquarters in Paris. (AP)
Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure was the first person to speak on behalf of the NFP in the election debates.
Trained as a lawyer, Faure became an advisor to Labor Minister Martine Aubry in 1997 and later a deputy to François Hollande when the former president was leading the Socialist Party.
Faure was first elected as a member of parliament in 2012 and began leading the Socialists in 2018. By that time, the party had lost much of its support, with Macron securing a majority in the National Assembly with his presidential party.
At the local level, the Socialists remain a political force. They also recently advanced in the European elections with a coalition list led by Raphaël Glucksmann.
Communist Party led by Fabien Roussel
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Communist Party national secretary Fabien Roussel, speaks during media conference as he is surrounded by leaders of France left-wing coalition for the upcoming election in Paris, June 14, 2024. (AP)
Fabien Roussel has led the French Communist Party since 2018, after being first elected to parliament in 2017.
He grew up in northern France and worked as a journalist before entering politics, joining the Young Communists movement early on.
Roussel lost his seat in the first round of early legislative elections to a far-right candidate and was less present during the campaign than other members of the coalition.
