French Left Pitches for Economic Revamp in Parliament Election
An alliance of left-wing parties called Nupes has emerged as Emmanuel Macron’s No. 1 rival, with polls showing he could lose his outright majority in the lower house on Sunday.
Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the France Unbowed party, speaks during an election night event in Paris, on June 12.
Photographer: Benjamin Girette/BloombergPresident Emmanuel Macron’s setback in the first round of legislative elections will force him to contend with an emboldened leftist opposition united around a key objective: to undo his pro-business agenda.
Maintaining a majority of at least 289 lawmakers in the National Assembly has become tougher for Macron, with polls showing he’s on track to get 262 to 301 seats Sunday’s second-round vote. The left-wing grouping known as Nupes led by Jean-Luc Melenchon is projected to come second with 164 to 208 seats.