In a stunning turn of events, a left-wing coalition of communists, socialists, and environmentalists won the most seats in the second round of French parliamentary elections on Sunday.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Marine Le Pen’s right-leaning populist movement came out on top in the first round of elections last month.
Ryan James Girdusky, an expert on right-wing populism, told DX that voters had flocked to La Pen’s National Rally party because of concerns over the Islamization of France through mass immigration, the growth of “wokeism,” and the raising of the retirement age from 60 to 62.
The left-wing bloc’s victory follows a concerted effort by various anti-Le Pen party activists to clear the path for two-way parliamentary races, limiting voters’ options in a bid to defeat National Rally candidates.
Here’s some of what Breitbart reported on the shocking election results:
According to the initial Ipsos exit poll, the New Popular Front, led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon — often dubbed France’s Bernie Sanders — will win between 172 and 192 seats, the most of any parliamentary group. The far-left did not secure enough votes for an absolute majority of 289.
Meanwhile, President Macron’s coalition is projected to win between 150 and 170 seats, meaning that he will likely have to pair with the far left to continue governing the country.
In a disappointing result, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN), which won the first round of voting last week, was relegated to third place, with between 132 to 152 seats. Finally, the centre-right Les Républicains are projected to have won between 57 to 67 seats, Le Figaro reports.
The results confirm the ability of the French establishment to use the antiquated parliamentary system created in the aftermath of the Second World War to limit the power of outsiders amid deep political strife verging on civil war.