FRANCE has been plunged into political turmoil following shock election results just weeks before the start of the Olympics.
Riots broke out across the country following the shocking election results, after the New Popular Front (NFP) – a left-wing coalition that didn’t exist a month ago led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon – secured the most seats in parliament.
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The NFP was forged after French President Emmanuel Macron called early elections in May.
It is made up of politicians from the moderate socialist, green ecologist, French communist and far-left France Insubmissa parties.
It is currently unknown who will be in charge of the country, as French President Emmanuel Macron has not yet recognized the results.
In a completely unexpected result, the left-wing NPF was on track to win between 182 and 193 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly, but is well short of an absolute majority of 289.
The impasse could lead to weeks of substantive negotiations before a new government is formed.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who is often compared to Jeremy Corbyn, claimed victory and demanded that the front be allowed to form a government.
He said: “The defeat of the president and his coalition has been clearly confirmed. The president must… admit his defeat.”
However, Macron’s allies rejected his demands, saying the left had found too few deputies to govern the country.
Macron’s centralist party is expected to gain up to 163 deputies, putting it ahead of the far-right populist National Rally led by Marine Le Pen.
Rally president Jordan Bardella, 28, said the party was deprived of victory by an “unnatural alliance” between Macron’s camp and the left.
He said: “Unfortunately, this unnatural alliance of Macron with the far left deprives the French of the path to recovery.
“These agreements have thrown France into the arms of the extreme left.”
France may need a new Constitution if President Macron fails to build a rainbow coalition.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal tendered his resignation on Sunday night following early elections that resulted in a suspended parliament.
He said: “Our country is facing an unprecedented political situation and is preparing to welcome the world in just a few weeks.”
“No majority has emerged… tomorrow a new era will begin.”
Meanwhile, riots broke out across France following the shocking result.
Despite predictions of a major victory for the far right, a calculated move by center and left-wing politicians dealt a last-minute blow to Marine Le Pen.
Riots and violent demonstrations erupted across the country last week as left-leaning protesters took to the streets to rage against an expected right-wing gain.
But after the drastic victory of the NFP coalition, chaos ensued again with dramatic images showing chaos in the streets.
Protesters fired smoke rockets and set fire to bins and cars in the capital as people celebrated and fought the result.
Videos have emerged on social media of police trying to quell the unrest, which appear to have come from both left-wing and right-wing supporters.
French channel Visegrad 24 claimed that the far left was celebrating victory by “attacking the police”.
Tens of thousands of riot police – including 5,000 in and around Paris – have been deployed to ensure that “the radical right and the radical left do not take advantage of the situation to cause chaos”, said Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.
The fate of Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who oversaw all security preparations for the Games, also hangs in the balance.
History and sports professor at the Paul Dietschy University of Franche-Comte told AFP: “What the organizers are most worried about are things like delinquency and crime and, of course, terrorism, as well as traffic conditions.
“Minister of the Interior is the most important position.”
Darmanin said last week that if the far-right National Rally party or the far-right France Insubmissa party formed a government, he would resign immediately.
He told AFP: “The Olympic Games were very well prepared. Everyone knows that and everyone welcomes it.”
The local organizing committee and the International Olympic Committee were surprised by Macron’s electoral gamble, so close to the start of the Olympic Games, from July 26th to August 11th – as were the majority of government ministers and voters.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
