Surprise win for left alliance in French election
A loose alliance of left-wing parties is on course to become France's biggest parliamentary bloc

What happened
A loose alliance of left-wing parties is on course to become France's biggest parliamentary bloc, beating both the far-right and President Emmanuel Macron's coalition in the most momentous election in recent memory.
The left-green New Popular Front took 182 seats in a shock win. Macron's centrist Together alliance won 163 seats, while Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and allies were relegated to third with 143 seats.
Who said what
France is facing a hung parliament after the "surprising surge" from the new left-wing coalition helped "hold back" the National Rally's "push to power," said The New York Times.
National Rally was defeated by what is known in France as "the Front républicain," said France 24, which is "when voters turn out in force to defeat the far-right."
What next?
The result "plunges France into political limbo," said Al Jazeera. If no working majority can be cobbled together, Macron can ask the largest party to lead a minority government. Given that fresh parliamentary elections cannot be called for another year, said the BBC, "instability could ensue."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Arion McNicoll is a freelance writer at The Week Digital and was previously the UK website’s editor. He has also held senior editorial roles at CNN, The Times and The Sunday Times. Along with his writing work, he co-hosts “Today in History with The Retrospectors”, Rethink Audio’s flagship daily podcast, and is a regular panellist (and occasional stand-in host) on “The Week Unwrapped”. He is also a judge for The Publisher Podcast Awards.
-
The tiny Caribbean island sitting on a digital 'goldmine'
Under The Radar Anguilla's country-code domain name is raking in millions from a surprise windfall
-
September 7 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include stressing about Powerball, and a busy FBI schedule
-
Nvidia: unstoppable force, or powering down?
Talking Point Sales of firm's AI-powering chips have surged above market expectations –but China is the elephant in the room
-
France political crisis: what does Bayrou's gamble mean for Macron?
Today's Big Question The French president could see his authority damaged beyond repair should another of his governments fail
-
Court allows National Guard in LA as Dodgers repel feds
Speed Read The team said they 'denied entry' to ICE agents seeking to enter their stadium
-
ICE arrests NYC comptroller at courthouse
Speed Read Brad Lander was held for about four hours before being released
-
Trump ramps up Iran threats, demands 'surrender'
Speed Read Trump met with his top aides in the Situation Room on Tuesday
-
ABA sues Trump over 'law firm intimidation policy'
Speed Read Trump has 'used the vast powers of the executive branch to coerce lawyers,' the lawsuit said
-
Judge orders Trump's NIH grant cuts reversed
Speed Read Trump had attempted to slash more than $1 billion in research grants
-
Trump leaves G7 early, warns Tehran to evacuate
Speed Read Trump claimed to have left the summit due to ongoing issues in the Middle East
-
Trump tells ICE to hit blue cities, spare farms, hotels
Speed Read Trump has targeted New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles among other cities