Summary

  • Prime Minister Gabriel Attal resigns but French President Emmanuel Macron asks him to stay in the role for now to "ensure stability" after the election

  • France is facing political deadlock after parliamentary elections deal a blow to the far-right National Rally - but leave no party with a majority

  • National Rally have been pushed to third place, behind a hastily assembled left-wing alliance and Macron's centrists

  • While Macron must work with parliament, this election doesn't directly affect his job - he has three years left of his presidential term

  • The results come with just 18 days to go until Paris hosts the Olympic Games

  1. Watch: Mélenchon: 'We are allowed to love our country'published at 21:24 British Summer Time 7 July

    Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of France Unbowed (LFI), tells supporters he is "so immensely relieved" as exit polls indicate a lead for his left-wing New Popular Front alliance.

    Many had expected the far-right National Rally (RN) to win a majority of seats in parliament, after a strong performance in the election's first round last week.

    Mélenchon went on to thank the French people for their "obstinate patience".

    Media caption,

    Mélenchon: 'We are allowed to love our country'

  2. Stunned silence at National Rally HQpublished at 21:14 British Summer Time 7 July

    Mark Lowen
    Reporting from Paris

    National rally supporters holding french flagsImage source, EPA

    “We’re sad, disappointed, struck down by this result” said Rosa, a National Rally supporter as she clung to a French flag in one hand and a dwindling glass of champagne in the other.

    “We’re victims of a dishonest alliance led by Macron to stop us from power”.

    She was drowning her sorrows at the party headquarters, where there was stunned silence as the projections came through that showed the Rally had fallen far short of expectations, comprehensively beaten into third place.

    There were cheers for Jordan Bardella – the party’s president – who told his supporters that victory would, sooner or later, be theirs. And Marine Le Pen was greeted with whoops of “Marine, Présidente”.

    But the headquarters soon began to empty out – and once again, the majority of the French have looked at the possibility of a National Rally government and said “non”.

    “We have to see the positives: we have many more MPs now”, said Matteo Giammarresi, another party supporter, who was trying to put a positive spin on things.

    “We must continue to build our support. And 2027 – the next presidential election – will be ours.”

  3. Crowds pack into Place de la Républiquepublished at 21:08 British Summer Time 7 July

    Le Place de la RépubliqueImage source, Getty Images

    We're looking at live pictures now from Place de la République in Paris, where thousands of people have been gathering.

    The atmosphere appears peaceful and jubilant although dozens of riot police, including a water canon truck, are monitoring things from the side.

    In the square, crowds are waving flags, chanting and letting off flares. One person is juggling fire sticks.

  4. Tears and cheers as early projections show shock resultspublished at 20:55 British Summer Time 7 July

    Supporters of The Ecologists-EELV green party are in tears over the resultImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Supporters of The Ecologists-EELV green party were in tears over the result

    supporters of RN looking unsure and disappointedImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Wine at the ready - but it wasn't the outcome supporters of the National Rally party had hoped for

    Supporters of National Rally at its event in ParisImage source, ABACA/REX/Shutterstock
    Image caption,

    Supporters of National Rally at its event in Paris

    Supporters react during the election night of left-wing party La France Insoumise (LFI) following the first results of the second round of France's legislative election at La Rotonde Stalingrad in Paris on July 7, 2024.Image source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Supporters of the left-wing La France Insoumise party rejoiced as the early projections came in

    cheers in nantesImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    In Nantes, western France, there were cheers as the projected results were announced

  5. What happens now?published at 20:46 British Summer Time 7 July

    Henri Astier
    Live reporter

    Partcipants react - some with the French national flag - as they celebrate following the announcement of the projected results of the second round of France's crunch legislative elections during a rally in Nantes, western France on July 7, 2024Image source, Getty Images

    The New Popular Front (NFP), a left-wing alliance formed at the last minute to fight the election, appears to have won the most seats. But it does not have an absolute majority.

    This means it's still not clear who will run France.

    Much will depend on the balance of power within the NFP. Its constituent groups range from social democrats to hardcore anti-capitalists. Some moderate socialists could be tempted to peel off and join Macron's group to form a centre-left government.

    If no working majority can be cobbled together, then President Macron can ask the largest party to lead a minority government. Alternatively, he could appoint a technocratic government but it is unlikely to survive for long.

    Instability could ensue, especially as the president cannot call a fresh parliamentary election for another year.

  6. I will hand in my resignation tomorrow - PM Gabriel Attalpublished at 20:30 British Summer Time 7 July

    Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has spoken at his official residence, Hôtel de Matignon in Paris.

    He says that "tonight, none of the extremes can claim a majority" and for this he credits the "French spirit".

    He also stresses that many members of President Macron's Ensemble alliance have been re-elected.

    "Being PM is the honour of my life," he adds.

    "Tonight, although Ensemble has won three times the number of seats than had been predicted, we don't have a majority, he says. "And so, tomorrow morning, I will hand in my resignation to the President of the Republic."

    He adds, however, that he will stay on "as long as my duty requires".

  7. Le Pen: 'Our victory has only been delayed'published at 20:25 British Summer Time 7 July

    Marine Le Pen speaking to the media

    Marine Le Pen, who co-leads the National Rally with Jordan Bardella, has just spoken to reporters.

    She is defiant, saying her party's "victory has only been delayed", and she "sees the seeds of tomorrow's victory in today's result".

    Le Pen, who has run unsuccessfully for presidency three times, also said that President Macron's situation is untenable.

    "Marine! Marine! Marine!" her supporters chanted, as she left the room.

  8. Results met with disbelief in Bordeauxpublished at 20:17 British Summer Time 7 July

    Ido Vock
    Reporting from Bordeaux

    A vote count centre in Gironde

    At a vote count here in a suburb of Bordeaux, the seemingly winning New Popular Front (NFP) candidate, Sébastien Saint-Pasteur, is being congratulated by overjoyed activists.

    They can scarcely believe it - everyone expected the National Rally to come first.

    Saint-Pasteur, who unseated a candidate from Emmanuel Macron's party, told me it's a "huge relief" that the NFP seems to have come first.

  9. President Macron 'analysing results'published at 20:08 British Summer Time 7 July

    President Emmanuel Macron is currently analysing the latest election results and will wait for the full picture to emerge in parliament before taking the necessary next decisions, the French Presidency said in a statement on Sunday.

    "The president, as guarantor of our institutions, will respect the choice of French people," it added.

    We are also told that President Macron is not expected to speak tonight, but his Prime Minister Gabriel Attal is. When he does, we'll bring you the latest lines here.

  10. What is the New Popular Front?published at 20:02 British Summer Time 7 July

    A man cycles near a campaign poster of the Anti-Capitalist Party (NPA), a member of the alliance of left-wing parties, called the "Nouveau Front Populaire" (New Popular Front - NFP) in Paris, France, July 6, 2024.Image source, Reuters

    This evening, Jean-Luc Mélenchon claimed victory for his alliance as many polls showed the New Popular Front (NFP) won the most seats - although it fell short of an absolute majority.

    He said Prime Minister Gabriel Attal should resign and stated the NFP is ready to govern France.

    But who are the New Popular Front?

    They are an alliance of Socialists, Ecologists, Communists and France Unbowed (LFI) formed after President Macron called a snap parliamentary election on 9 June.

    These parties have previously criticised one another and have some key differences in their ideology and approach. But they decided to form a bloc to keep the far right out of government.

    The NFP has promised to scrap the pension and immigration reforms passed by the current government, to set up a rescue agency for undocumented migrants and to facilitate visa applications.

    It also wants to put caps on basic goods to combat the cost of living crisis and raise the minimum wage.

  11. Who will be the PM of a divided Assembly?published at 19:55 British Summer Time 7 July

    Hugh Schofield
    BBC News, Paris

    There was rejoicing at eight o’clock in the left-wing camp when the projections were published.

    Against every expectation the National Rally had fallen from a clear first place in round one a week ago, to third place in round two.

    It now looks set to secure - at most - 150 seats in the Assembly, some way behind the New Popular Front on the left and supporters of President Macron in the centre.

    It seems the calls from all the other parties to block the far-right’s coming to government have worked very effectively: Jordan Bardella will not be the next French prime minister.

    Who will be is another matter.

    The fact is that none of the three big blocs has an outright majority in the Assembly.

    What beckons therefore is a period of haggling over an eventual coalition forming around a programme still undefined.

    The left – flush from their strong performance – will expect a very strong voice.

  12. Jubilation among left-wing voterspublished at 19:47 British Summer Time 7 July

    Azadeh Moshiri
    Reporting from Paris

    Crowds at Place de la République

    There was absolute jubilation on Place de la République in Paris as the results came in, and now there is music and chanting.

    Each time Jean-Luc Mélenchon appears either on the screen or from the nearby balcony, there are cheers.

    Each time Jordan Bardella’s name is mentioned by the broadcast on the screen, there is booing.

    Not everyone here supports La France Insoumise, Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s radical left party that has organised this gathering of the New Popular Front.

    One woman here told me she was fed socialism from the bottle at birth, and that Mélenchon was a candidate she would have never supported before this.

    These are not happy partners at this gathering but, right now, this feels like a victory for them.

  13. WATCH: 'Stunned silence' at National Rally headquarterspublished at 19:44 British Summer Time 7 July

    The BBC's Mark Lowen is at the National Rally's headquarters and describes the moment the projections showed the party had failed to win a majority:

  14. Bardella says French people 'deprived' of RN victorypublished at 19:40 British Summer Time 7 July

    Media caption,

    Bardella: 'Dishonourable alliance deprived' France of RN victory

    National Rally (RN) leader Jordan Bardella, who was hoping to be France's next prime minister, has been speaking to his supporters.

    He criticises the "unnatural" and "dishonourable alliance" that has "deprived the French people" of a RN victory: "Tonight, these alliances throw France into the arms of the far left of Jean-Luc Mélenchon."

    He notes that RN came first in the European elections, in the first round of the parliamentary election and has now doubled its number of MPs.

    "These are the cornerstones of tomorrow's victory," he says.

    He adds that President Macron has pushed the country towards "uncertainty and instability".

    "Everyone understands today that the arrangements orchestrated by the Élysée.. won't go anywhere," Bardella says.

    He says he understands the "frustration" of French people, but adds: "For months now a wind of hope has picked up and it will never stop blowing."

    "It all begins tonight," he says.

  15. Socialist leader calls for left-wing government to be formedpublished at 19:36 British Summer Time 7 July

    Olivier FaureImage source, Getty Images

    Socialist leader Olivier Faure has just spoken.

    "France has said no to giving power to the [far-right] National Rally," he said. "This is a victory for the New Popular Front (NFP)" - the alliance between left-wing forces.

    He said the NFP would be the largest bloc in parliament and should be allowed to form a government.

  16. Champagne not flowing at Bardella's election partypublished at 19:34 British Summer Time 7 July

    At Jordan Bardella's event, there is disappointment as his National Rally party failed to get the votes it hoped to win to form a government.

    The 28-year-old had hoped to be France's next prime minister.

    Barman with a lot of empty champagne glasses
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  17. Projections give left victory in French electionpublished at 19:18 British Summer Time 7 July

    All the opinion polls appear to have got it wrong.

    The major TV channels all project victory for the left-wing alliance and not the National Rally of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella.

    This is the projected result from France's state TV:

    ProjectionImage source, .
  18. RN fails to meet sky-high expectationspublished at 19:17 British Summer Time 7 July

    Henri Astier
    Live reporter

    If the exit polls and projections are correct, the National Rally (RN) has not performed nearly as well as its leaders - and many observers - had expected.

    The left-wing and centrist blocs had prioritised blocking the RN, and that strategy appears to have worked. Having said that, the RN has greatly increased its representation in parliament: the estimated results are only a setback compared with the landslide many were anticipating.

    And the number of seats held my President Macron's supporters has been slashed.

    It looks as though the main winners of the night could be the left.

  19. Mélenchon: 'The president has to admit defeat'published at 19:14 British Summer Time 7 July

    Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of the radical left France Unbowed party, the largest in the left-wing coalition New Popular Front (NFP), has been addressing his supporters, claiming victory for his bloc.

    He says: "The far right is far from a majority tonight... The election result is the outcome of a magnificent mobilisation effort."

    "The president has to bow and admit this is a defeat... the prime minister needs to leave," he says.

    The president has the power and the duty to call the NFP to govern," he adds to applause.

    "The NFP is ready," he adds.

  20. Far right's historic moment may have to waitpublished at 19:04 British Summer Time 7 July

    Paul Kirby
    Europe digital editor in Paris

    Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, the two big faces of the National Rally, were hoping for a dramatic and historic victory.

    The projections we've just had from the big French broadcasters all suggests not only that their hopes have been dashed.

    They all indicate that the left-wing New Popular Front, cobbled together hastily after President Macron called this election, may actually have won the race.

    It wouldn't mean they could form any kind of government, because a hung parliament would be the result.

    But if the radical-left France Unbowed and their allies in the Greens, Socialists and Communists really have won, it's a big dent in the expectations of the far right.