President Macron

Diplomacy

Reasons for rise of far-right forces in France

Before and after the parliamentary elections, President Macron faced unprecedented questions about his leadership from both conservative loyalists and centrist rebels. Candidates worried about their chances in the election openly distanced themselves from him. Meanwhile, influential leaders in the government, like Prime Minister Attal, distanced themselves from Macron's decision to call for early elections. The leftist coalition, New Popular Front (NFP), won the most seats in the French national parliamentary election, successfully blocking a landslide victory by the far-right National Rally (RN). The coalition includes the Socialists, Greens, Communists, and Jean-Luc Mélenchon's France Unbowed party, which were previously deeply divided. Uniting these groups into a coalition was not easy, making their victory a groundbreaking event.