The second round of parliamentary elections held in France on July 7 plunged the country into a serious phase of political instability because neither the left-wing coalition led by socialists won a majority, nor President Emmanuel Macron’s alliance nor the far right RN led by Marine Le Pen could claim victory. Contrary to expectation, RN failed to win parliamentary polls and got third position.

When the French President announced snap parliamentary elections for electing a 577-seat parliament, it was projected that Le Pen’s National Rally would gain a majority in the June 30 polls. But no political party emerged victories and the second round of elections took place on July 7 in which the New Popular Front (NFP) which was formed in haste to stop RN from coming into power emerged as the single largest block. Composed of heterogeneous political groups ranging from far left to communists, socialists, and greens, NPF along with President Macron’s Ensemble, managed to defeat RN. It means RN, which is known for its anti-immigration and adhering to far-right ideology may not be able to win the 2027 presidential elections.

The left who had clinched it, and Emmanuel Macron’s centrists had staged an unexpected comeback, pushing the far-right National Rally (RN) into third.

What are the implications of the crushing defeat of far-right RN and how the NFP will be able to form a government on its own or will go for power sharing with Macron’s centrist Ensemble will be judged in the coming days. The loss of RN and its number third position in the July 7 elections reflects the efforts of President Emmanuel to prevent the far right from coming into power and yielded positive results. Immediately after the announcement of election results the potential Prime Minister and leader of NEP Jean-Luc Melenchon called on French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to resign as he claimed that the left-wing coalition was in a position to form the government on its own.

There was a high turnout of 61.4% in the second round of elections held on July 7 which sealed the faith of ultra-right RN paving the way for left-wing and centrist candidates belonging to NFP and Ensemble to prevent far-right RN gain a majority. It is also possible that current Prime Minister Gabriel Attal will try to form a minority government by reaching an alliance with Macron’s Ensemble to stop the left-wing coalition NFP from coming to power. Whatever, will be the outcome of power squabbling in France following the July 7 elections and the emergence of a hung parliament, France will pass through an era of political instability particularly when Europe is passing through a crucial phase.

If a hung parliament is the future of French democracy with diverse coalition groups struggling to gain power, the election results of July 7 surprised many. According to BBC in its commentary “What just happened in France’s shock elections?” by Paul Kirby on July 8, “Nobody expected this. High drama, for sure, but this was a shock.  When the graphics flashed up on all the big French channels, it was not the far right of Marine Le Pen and her young prime minister-in-waiting Jordan Bardella who were on course for victory. It was the left who had clinched it, and Emmanuel Macron’s centrists had staged an unexpected comeback, pushing the far-right National Rally (RN) into third.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the veteran left-wing firebrand seen by his critics as an extremist, wasted no time in proclaiming victory. “The president must call on the New Popular Front to govern,” he told supporters in Stalingrad square, insisting Mr. Macron had to recognize that he and his coalition had lost. His alliance, drawn up in a hurry for President Macron’s surprise election, includes his own radical France Unbowed, along with Greens, Socialists and Communists, and even Trotskyists. But their victory is nowhere big enough to govern”.

A stable government in France to deal with issues of inflation, unemployment, pensioners and immigration is a major predicament for the future government. By not seeking a majority in the 577-seat parliament, it will be an uphill task for the French President to enable his country to play a leadership role in the European Union, NATO, the war in Ukraine, and the armed conflict in Gaza. Certainly, with more than 15% of its population composed of immigrants, coming into power with Le Pen’s far-right RN would have been a nightmare and plunged Europe’s leading democracy into a perpetual state of crisis, conflict, and hostility.

The president must call on the New Popular Front to govern, declared Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

The far-right wave which has succeeded in gaining power in Hungary, Italy, and the Netherlands would have got an impetus had it won July 7 parliamentary elections in France. Far-right anti-immigrant parties like AfD (Alternate for Deutschland) and Swiss People’s Party, Swedes Democrats, Austria’s Freedom Party and Finns Party are trying to get political space by targeting immigrants, rising cost of living, raising slogans of Islam phobia and unemployment.

In the recently held elections of the European parliament, the far-right European People’s Party emerged as the single largest bloc reflecting the surge of the far-right wave in Europe. According to a report by Al-Jazeera entitled, “European Parliament at crossroads as right-wing parties triumph in EU vote” on June 12, 2024, “The ground beneath the feet of European Union leaders has shifted after voting across the 27-member bloc delivered a clear turn to the right in the European Parliament, shaking up governments in member states and leaving mainstream groups at a crossroads.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen claimed victory after her center-right European People’s Party (EPP) maintained the most seats of any single group in the legislative body. It scored a clear victory in the elections, tightening its influence in the European Parliament with 185 of its 720 seats”. It was the surge of far-right groups in European parliament elections that prompted French President Macron to announce snap national polls. According to Reuters in its report, “Far-right advances in EU election, France calls the snap national vote” of June 10, 2024: “While the center, liberal and Socialist parties were set to retain a majority in the 720-seat parliament.

The vote dealt a domestic blow to the leaders of both France and Germany, raising questions about how the European Union’s major powers can drive policy in the bloc. A rightwards shift inside the European Parliament may make it tougher to pass new legislation that might be needed to respond to security challenges, the impact of climate change, or industrial competition from China and the United States”.

One can gauge three major implications of the far-right debacle in recently held French parliamentary elections. First, it is the ideology of democracy that has enabled anti-far-right groups in Europe to unite and defeat the forces of retrogression, hate, and intolerance. The French election results prove that if anti-far-right forces are united the future of democracy can be secure. Likewise, the surge of far-right AfD in Germany and its entry into the European parliament is a source of alarm for those who fear the rise of neo-Nazis.

There can be an analogy in combating ultra-far right in Europe and India. For example, the Hindu nationalist BJP which won only 2 seats in the 1984 October Lok Sabah (lower house) elections of the Indian parliament secured 303 seats in the 2019 elections. It was only after the realization by secular and democratic parties that only by uniting they can defeat the ultra-right BJP that they deprived that party of gaining a two-thirds majority in the 2024 Indian elections. Second, even after losing RN will not give up its efforts to gain power in France. Its nexus with other ultra-right parties in Europe and its presence in the European parliament will certainly keep its deterrent for the democratic and liberal forces of Europe.

It means that unless the issues that led to the surge of ultra-right are seriously dealt with, threats to democracy, enlightenment, and tolerance will remain.

Even after losing in France, ultra-right wing ideology will not recede because it sees anger and antagonism, particularly among youths of Europe as an opportunity to strengthen their network to augment their drive against immigrants. Finally, it depends on the power, capability, and capacity of countering ultra-right-wing forces not only in the West but elsewhere to reverse the process of hate, intolerance, and violence. The role of a vibrant civil society and those who are enlightened to prevent fascist and violent forces from taking power is essential. In its essence, the anti-BJP political parties under the banner of INDIA (Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance) are a vivid example to prove that once they are united, ultra-right wing forces, who have an agenda composed of retrogression and intolerance can be defeated.