The left-wing NFP coalition appears poised to win the French elections.

Polls closed at 8 p.m. for the second and decisive round of France’s parliamentary elections. Voter turnout was unusually high. According to Ipsos, turnout is expected to reach 67.1 percent. That’s the highest figure since 1997.

Success for the Left Alliance

According to preliminary figures from the French Interior Ministry, the left-wing NFP coalition will be the largest by a small margin, with 172 to 192 seats, compared to Emmanuel Macron's Together coalition, which will win between 150 and 170 seats. In third place is the National Assembly, with a total of 132 to 152 seats.

No group appears capable of winning an absolute majority, and Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has announced he will step down.

In a speech, National Assembly party leader Jordan Bardella blamed the Republican Front for the result, saying France faced an “uncertain future”.

– He says: We will strengthen our work in the opposition.

In a speech shortly after the projections were presented, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, part of the left-wing NFP coalition, described the result as a “fantastic mobilization.”

The president should bow down and admit defeat, and the prime minister should resign, he said.

Macron called on the candidates to withdraw.

Since Sunday, Emmanuel Macron has called on left-wing and centre-right candidates who had advanced but finished third to withdraw, in order to prevent the National Assembly from becoming the largest party.

According to journalist Fanny Hargestam, there was no “normal” election campaign last week.

– I would say that last week was a huge display of political manoeuvring, as you say in the SVT special broadcast.

– He has wronged many voters and made many more desperate. Choosing between “Macronism” or allowing the far right to emerge is like choosing between the plague or cholera for many.

Watch SVT's full live stream of election night here.

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