A left-wing alliance emerged as a dominant force in the French parliament, propelled by strategic voting that thwarted significant gains by the far right led by Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN).

Projected to secure up to 192 seats, the left surpassed President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance and the far right, which ranked third.

Despite their lead, the left fell short of an absolute majority by around 100 seats amidst a high turnout of approximately 67%, the Guardian has reported.

As a result, France faced a fragmented parliament with no clear majority bloc, likely divided among the left, centrists, and the far right.

Written by B.C. Begley