Left-wing parties alliance wins France's legislative elections, PM vows to resign

PARIS - The left-wing parties' alliance, the New Popular Front (NFP), wins the 2nd round of France's legislative elections, and is expected to hold between 175 and 205 seats in the National Assembly, according to projections published by research firm Elabe.

French President Emmanuel Macron's coalition comes in second with the possibility of getting 150 to 175 seats, while the far-right wing party and its allies would only obtain 115 to 150 seats, Elabe said in its projections.

No party would get the absolute majority of 289 seats in the 577-member French National Assembly.

Speaking after the publication of several projections confirming the win of the NFP, French left-wing head Jean-Luc Melanchon, "saluted" the effort and mobilization of the French people who have voted in favor of the NFP.

"Our people have clearly avoided the worst solution for them," he said, referring to the far-ring wing party, the National Rally (RN).

"We achieved a result that we were told impossible," said Melanchon, head of left-wing party La France Insoumise.

According to him, the result of the elections is "a huge relief" for most French people. "The will of the people must be strictly respected...The defeat of the President of the Republic and his coalition is clearly confirmed," he told his supporters.

"The prime minister must resign. The president must call on the New Popular Front to govern," he said.

Former French president Francois Hollande, a member of the French Socialist Party (PS) and candidate of the New Popular Front (NFP), is elected as deputy as well following the second round.

"I considered that my duty, despite the positions I held, was to do everything to prevent the extreme right from coming to power, but also to open a path of hope," he said at a gathering.

The former French president noted that the New Popular Front (NFP) has the responsibility to "fulfill its role" at the future National Assembly.

Following the defeat of the National Rally, its president Jordan Bardella thanked the RN's supporters.

"Unfortunately, the alliances of dishonor this evening deprive the French of a policy of recovery. This evening, the electoral agreements throw France into the arms of the extreme left of Jean-Luc Melenchon," he said.

"The National Rally embodies more than ever the only alternation and will stand alongside the French people. We do not want power for power's sake but to return it to the French," the 28-year-old far-right wing lead noted.

Although the National Rally failed to become the largest party in the National Assembly, it still would have more seats than in the previous assembly.

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced Sunday night to submit his resignation to French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, following the defeat of Macron's centrist coalition in the elections.

"This evening, the political group that I represented in this campaign, has achieved three times more than the seats predicted in the past weeks, but does not have a majority," Attal said in a televised speech.

"Being faithful to the republican tradition and in accordance with my principles, I will submit my resignation tomorrow morning to the President of the Republic," he said.

Saying that the French people may feel a form of "uncertainty" about the future following the results of the legislative elections, Attal stressed that he would "obviously" assume his role as prime minister for as long as it requires, given that France is to hold the Olympics Games in three weeks.

Although Attal would submit his resignation to Macron on Monday, the latter doesn't have to accept it immediately.

Official provisional results are expected to be published by the French interior ministry late Sunday night or early Monday morning.