01:02Leader of the New Popular Front (NFP) alliance Jean-Luc Melenchon has called on French President Emmanuel Macron to admit defeat and invite the NFP to govern, as pollster project his bloc in the lead after the second round of the French parliamentary elections, speaking from NFP headquarters in Paris on Sunday.
"The President must bow down and accept this defeat without trying to get round it in any way whatsoever. The Prime Minister must go. In fact, he has never received the confidence of the National Assembly. He has just managed the campaign lost by his camp and received a massive popular vote of no confidence," said Melenchon.
"The President has the power and the duty to call on the NFP to govern," he noted, adding that "the NFP will apply its programme, nothing but its programme and its entire programme."
Pollsters Ipsos, Ifop and Elabe following the vote suggest that a seismic shift has taken place after opinion polls during the campaign put the National Rally (NR) bloc out in front, with the left-green NFP projected to secure between 172-215 seats, Macron's Ensemble coalition in second and NR bloc in third place. The French national assembly holds 577 seats, with 289 required for an absolute majority.
The NFP brings together green and liberal parties including La France Insoumise, the Socialist Party, The Ecologists (coalition), the French Communist Party, Generations, Place Publique. Following anti-immigration party NR's lead in the first round of the vote, the parties came together to create a 'republican front' to 'block the advance' of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella's party.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the snap legislative vote following huge losses for his Renaissance party in the EU Parliament elections, which saw a huge surge for Jordan Bardella's NR. The next election had not been expected until 2027.
Across the EU bloc, conservative, nationalist and anti-immigration groups also made large gains. Many called for a focus on domestic priorities amid the soaring cost of living, as well as lower taxes, better border security and an end to foreign military interventions, such as in Ukraine.
France's election was held over two rounds, on June 30 and July 7, to elect all 577 members of the National Assembly. Macron has not held a majority in parliament since 2022 and has used executive powers to pass legislation like his pension reforms, which have seen huge protests.
'Macron must bow down' - NFP leader Melenchon urges president to call NFP to govern as party leads parliamentary election second round
Leader of the New Popular Front (NFP) alliance Jean-Luc Melenchon has called on French President Emmanuel Macron to admit defeat and invite the NFP to govern, as pollster project his bloc in the lead after the second round of the French parliamentary elections, speaking from NFP headquarters in Paris on Sunday.
"The President must bow down and accept this defeat without trying to get round it in any way whatsoever. The Prime Minister must go. In fact, he has never received the confidence of the National Assembly. He has just managed the campaign lost by his camp and received a massive popular vote of no confidence," said Melenchon.
"The President has the power and the duty to call on the NFP to govern," he noted, adding that "the NFP will apply its programme, nothing but its programme and its entire programme."
Pollsters Ipsos, Ifop and Elabe following the vote suggest that a seismic shift has taken place after opinion polls during the campaign put the National Rally (NR) bloc out in front, with the left-green NFP projected to secure between 172-215 seats, Macron's Ensemble coalition in second and NR bloc in third place. The French national assembly holds 577 seats, with 289 required for an absolute majority.
The NFP brings together green and liberal parties including La France Insoumise, the Socialist Party, The Ecologists (coalition), the French Communist Party, Generations, Place Publique. Following anti-immigration party NR's lead in the first round of the vote, the parties came together to create a 'republican front' to 'block the advance' of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella's party.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the snap legislative vote following huge losses for his Renaissance party in the EU Parliament elections, which saw a huge surge for Jordan Bardella's NR. The next election had not been expected until 2027.
Across the EU bloc, conservative, nationalist and anti-immigration groups also made large gains. Many called for a focus on domestic priorities amid the soaring cost of living, as well as lower taxes, better border security and an end to foreign military interventions, such as in Ukraine.
France's election was held over two rounds, on June 30 and July 7, to elect all 577 members of the National Assembly. Macron has not held a majority in parliament since 2022 and has used executive powers to pass legislation like his pension reforms, which have seen huge protests.
Leader of the New Popular Front (NFP) alliance Jean-Luc Melenchon has called on French President Emmanuel Macron to admit defeat and invite the NFP to govern, as pollster project his bloc in the lead after the second round of the French parliamentary elections, speaking from NFP headquarters in Paris on Sunday.
"The President must bow down and accept this defeat without trying to get round it in any way whatsoever. The Prime Minister must go. In fact, he has never received the confidence of the National Assembly. He has just managed the campaign lost by his camp and received a massive popular vote of no confidence," said Melenchon.
"The President has the power and the duty to call on the NFP to govern," he noted, adding that "the NFP will apply its programme, nothing but its programme and its entire programme."
Pollsters Ipsos, Ifop and Elabe following the vote suggest that a seismic shift has taken place after opinion polls during the campaign put the National Rally (NR) bloc out in front, with the left-green NFP projected to secure between 172-215 seats, Macron's Ensemble coalition in second and NR bloc in third place. The French national assembly holds 577 seats, with 289 required for an absolute majority.
The NFP brings together green and liberal parties including La France Insoumise, the Socialist Party, The Ecologists (coalition), the French Communist Party, Generations, Place Publique. Following anti-immigration party NR's lead in the first round of the vote, the parties came together to create a 'republican front' to 'block the advance' of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella's party.
French President Emmanuel Macron called the snap legislative vote following huge losses for his Renaissance party in the EU Parliament elections, which saw a huge surge for Jordan Bardella's NR. The next election had not been expected until 2027.
Across the EU bloc, conservative, nationalist and anti-immigration groups also made large gains. Many called for a focus on domestic priorities amid the soaring cost of living, as well as lower taxes, better border security and an end to foreign military interventions, such as in Ukraine.
France's election was held over two rounds, on June 30 and July 7, to elect all 577 members of the National Assembly. Macron has not held a majority in parliament since 2022 and has used executive powers to pass legislation like his pension reforms, which have seen huge protests.