The French leftist coalition has emerged as the leading force in the legislative elections held on July 8, outpacing a strong surge from the far-right but falling short of securing a majority. In a significant development, an alliance between French Muslims and left-wing parties helped elect 19 Muslim lawmakers to the Parliament, including 12 women, effectively blocking the rise of the extreme right.
Muslims, who constitute about 10% of France’s population, now hold approximately 3.29% of the seats in Parliament. Although this marks a notable increase in representation, it still lags behind the United Kingdom, where 25 Muslim MPs represent 3.84% of the Parliament against a 6% Muslim population.
The New Popular Front, a leftist coalition, won just over 180 seats, surpassing President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance, which garnered more than 160 seats. Marine Le Pen’s far-right faction and its allies finished in third place with over 140 seats, significantly improving on their previous best of 89 seats in 2022. The far-right had campaigned on promises of a “cultural battle” against Islam.
The French National Assembly, composed of 577 deputies elected through a two-round system, requires 289 seats for a majority. Despite the leftist coalition’s success, they remain short of this threshold, setting the stage for a complex and competitive political landscape ahead.
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