France reborn: The rise of the left and the decline of the far-right

The second round of the French legislative elections gave first place to the left-wing coalition, the Popular Front, with 182 seats, followed by Ensemble with 168 seats, while the far-right nationalist National Rally took third place with 143 seats. The victory of the left will restore the attempt to shape the political map in the European Union (EU) based on the weight of Paris. It may also, along with the victory of the Labour Party in the UK, be a strong boost for the Democratic candidate in the upcoming presidential elections in the US.

All indicators suggested the victory of the nationalist far-right, the National Rally, which took first place in the first round. Most of the articles, drawn from a dramatic inkwell, warned of a dark future for France and forgot the winning party’s adaptation to power, no matter how radical it was, right or left, because ultimately, a country like France is a country of institutions.

Many did not recall the existence of a prior recipe in French political practice dating back to 2002 when Jacques Chirac won against the founder of the far-right, Jean-Marie Le Pen Sr, as a result of an alliance of French supporters against extremism. This was repeated in the recent presidential elections, which granted victory to the current president, Emmanuel Macron, against his far-right opponent, Marine Le Pen. If this recipe had been repeated in the first round, i.e. a confrontation between the far-right and a party coalition formed by the left and the liberals, the far-right would not have won 142 seats. The irony is that over the past weeks, the world has been talking about extremist France and the arrival of the “extremist bogeyman”, and in the blink of an eye, shortly after 8 pm on Sunday, 7 July, everyone began talking about “leftist France”. The historic event is that, for the first time, a leftist coalition led by the far left won first place in the French legislative elections. This is a precedent since World War II, especially in what is called “the era of the Fifth Republic”. It may be symbolically equivalent to the Socialists winning the presidency in 1981 with Francois Mitterrand. Commenting on these results, digital newspaper Mediapart wrote the headline, “The Left Saves the Republic,” in reference to preserving the political and social balance in France instead of the growing extremist discourse. The victory of the leftist coalition carries a lot of political meanings and significance, and the subsequent fundamental results that will affect the path of France and Europe in the coming years. The focus is on the difficulty of forming the next government due to Parliament being fragmented and divided between the three aforementioned forces, but this will remain secondary and will be overcome. The main matter at hand will be the major conclusions of these elections and their effects, whether inside France or outside its borders.

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In this regard, the following can be observed:

First, the radical left, which was handling the political scene without the chances of winning the elections and forming the government, has become strongly present since the elections on Sunday, 7 July, 2024, a presence that will extend for many years. Perhaps what allowed the left to win first place was a combination of factors, most notably the return of attention to the concerns of the citizens to the parties’ agenda and the French voters’ awareness of the need to form a wall against the advancement of the nationalist far-right. This victory does not prevent attention being given to the substantial progress of the far-right, which had been a marginal force, became a secondary force, and has now become a major force that may deliver a surprise in the future in the 2027 elections.

Secondly, is the return of the left to the EU, as leftist France will be added to a country that has become a heavyweight in the European arena, i.e. Spain, which is ruled by the Socialist Party. Also, the victory of the Labour Party in the British elections last week against the Conservatives, who ruled for 14 consecutive years, is considered a boost for the European left. This has become similar to the progress of the left in Latin American countries over the last decade. The progress of the left would stop the extreme liberal agenda from approaching the economy, which has greatly influenced European governments. The return of the left would also revive the hopes of left-wing parties in other countries, such as Italy, to regain power from the nationalist far-right, as was the case with Bologna last year.

Third, the left’s victory in both France and Britain gives hope to the US Democratic Party against the Republicans. Whether US President Joe Biden remains a candidate or is replaced by another, despite the difference in the political context between the US and Europe, the mutual political influence has been felt more over the past two decades between the two parties. Like the French, the American voter may gain awareness of the need to build a wall against the extremism of the Republican candidate, Donald Trump.

Fourth, one of the most prominent matters that can be concluded in these elections is the strategy used by the left during the campaign. It adopted the style of leftist parties in Latin America, such as Brazil, Chile and Mexico, which focused primarily on a social agenda based on the principle that politics must serve the citizens. The left has focused on issues such as limiting price increases, reconsidering the retirement age, the need to restore the previous level of welfare and ending the state’s submission to the demands of multinational companies or the unfair conditions of the EU regarding social services and the trade deficit. The left focused the campaign on knocking on voters’ doors and engaging in dialogue on social media with young people because major media outlets such as CNews and BFM TV were pushing the moderate and extreme-right to the forefront.

The Democratic front in France succeeded in stopping the advancement of the far-right, and the big challenge remains in confronting the thorny issues that sowed despair among voters and pushed them to count on the extremists. Winning is the first stage, like diagnosing a disease, and responding to the demands of the citizens is akin to treating it.

This article first appeared in Arabic in Al-Quds Al-Arabi on 8 July 2024

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