For the thousands of French people who took to the streets on Sunday to celebrate the results of a parliamentary run-off vote, the outcome was a big relief.
For the leaders of the leftist New Popular Front coalition that unexpectedly thwarted the far-right’s advance, it was time to celebrate. Olivier Faure, the leader of the Socialist Party, clenched his fist during his victory speech after the final round of voting.
The founder of hard-left party France Unbowed, Jean-Luc Melenchon, pledged to implement all his campaign promises. Easier said than done, critics said, with the country now facing a hung Parliament after none of the main groups was able to gather a majority of 289 seats to govern alone.
After polls suggested ahead of Sunday’s voting that the far-right was at the gate to power for the first time since World War II, the victory of the New Popular Front came as a surprise.
While far-right supporters stayed…
