by Robert Hodgson and Romane Armangau at Euro News
The victorious left/green New Popular Front and an unexpected surge in votes for president Macron’s liberal Ensemble alliance have beaten Marine Le Pen’s nationalists into third place in France’s legislative assembly elections.
The leftist New Popular Front (NFP) has defied the odds to win 182 seats, beating Marine Le Pen’s National Rally into third place on 143 seats.
President Emmanuel Macron Ensemble, on 168 seats, has been severely wounded, if less than predicted. But the pathway to forming of a new government looks complicated.
With no obvious coalition available – and indeed no tradition for coalition building in France – could France seek inspiration from elsewhere. Might bridge-building deployed with effect by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in the European Parliament work for France?
Will the diverse grouping of leftist parties forming the NFP remain as one now that