Paris, France – Leaders from various left-wing parties in France have banded together in a new coalition to prevent the far-right from seizing power in the upcoming snap national parliamentary elections. The anti-immigration National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, is also seeking alliances to increase its chances of becoming the first far-right party to lead the French government since the Nazi occupation. President Emmanuel Macron has described the alliances on both the left and right as “crazy” and incoherent.
Despite their differences, the leaders of the typically divided French left-wing parties highlighted their compromises during four days of negotiations. They aligned their views on crucial issues such as the conflict in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict to thwart a victory by Le Pen’s camp. Additionally, various left-wing parties, unions, and anti-racism groups are joining forces to hold protests in Paris and throughout the country against the far right.
The decision for an early legislative vote on June 30 and July 7 was prompted by Macron’s dissolution of the National Assembly after his centrist party suffered a significant defeat by the National Rally in the European Parliament election. Leaders of the leftist alliance, known as the New Popular Front, warned that the far right is on the brink of power and urged supporters to mobilize and cast their votes to prevent a victory by a party with a history of racism and xenophobia.
The New Popular Front alliance comprises environmentalist parties, the French Socialists, Communists, and the hard-left France Unbowed party of Jean-Luc Melenchon. They have pledged to repeal unpopular reforms by Macron’s government, including changes to unemployment benefits and pensions. Their proposed agenda includes raising the minimum wage, adjusting salaries and pensions with inflation, and freezing food and energy prices to bolster people’s purchasing power.
The alliance’s leaders underlined their commitment to combat antisemitism and condemned terrorist actions, such as the Hamas-led incursion into southern Israel. They expressed unwavering support for Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression and ruled out any French military involvement in Ukraine. Macron has criticized the new alliances as political maneuvering, emphasizing the gravity of the country’s current challenges and the importance of voters carefully considering the proposed solutions for the future.