On July 7th, 2024, France held its legislative elections, resulting in leftist candidates securing more seats than their far-right counterparts. While this was a success on the left’s side, will it be enough to prevent the government from leaning further right?
In total, the left won 182 seats but lacked the 289 majority. Additionally, the leftists given seats weren’t voted in by one political party, but split between a variety of groups to put a halt to Anti-immigration policies and other far-right practices. Given this situation with no party having a clear majority, the government remains in a deadlock.
While receiving the votes was a move in the right direction, the leftists will remain in a political impasse until they establish a clear leader and unite together with a plan.
In contrast, the right is less divided with a stronger and more united front, meaning they will continue to push until gaining a majority. With the left so fragmented, any of these groups could be influenced to vote in opposition or make decisions that aren’t as beneficial to their goals.
Currently, France still has a long way to go if they’re aiming to prevent far-right practices. However, it must begin with finding a common front and aligning their parties’ goals to get through this standstill.
