The Squiz 

After the polls tipped that France’s snap election would usher in the far-right National Rally (RN) party to power, yesterday’s results proved that things don’t always play out as predicted… Instead, French voters turned out in droves to give the leftist coalition formed only 3 weeks ago – the New Popular Front – the most seats in the country’s General Assembly. President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance came in second, followed by RN. No party won a majority, so a coalition will need to be negotiated, bringing a plethora of issues… The vote did see a swing to the left, but the whole exercise highlighted the divisions within France, which led to rioting and protests as the votes rolled in.

So what happened to the National Rally? 

Plenty of people are trying to work out what happened, including RN party members and their leader, Jordan Bardella – the 28yo who was hoping to become the new PM… Yesterday, Bardella said a “dishonourable alliance” has “deprived the French people” of his party’s rule. What he’s pointing to is candidates from Macron’s alliance and the left dropping out of the running in many seats to ensure the defeat of RN. And if you’re wondering what all of this means for the Paris Olympics which kick off in a fortnight, incumbent PM Gabriel Attal has offered to lead a caretaker government for the next few weeks to provide some stability. That offer might come in handy, given Macron says he’s not in a rush to name the next PM.

What does it mean more broadly?

Well, analysts say the fact that France is facing a hung parliament – split between 3 parties with hugely different platforms – means it could be in for some difficult years of trying to pass new legislation. And because France plays a big part in the European Union, others have pointed out it could also cause headaches across an already-tense political environment in Europe… France is also a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (aka NATO) – which is a nice segue, given its annual summit is kicking off in Washington DC tonight. All eyes will be on US President Joe Biden’s mental fitness, given he’s still facing pressure to drop out of the presidential race. That’s of interest to the 32 European/North American NATO member countries because Republican candidate Donald Trump isn’t a huge NATO fan. Watch this space…