Formed in haste to keep the far right out of power, the left-wing New Popular Front defied expectations to take the lead in snap elections and become the biggest bloc in France's new parliament. Who is in the alliance? What do they stand for? And now that the immediate danger is past, can they continue to work together?
The New Popular Front, known by its French initials NFP, was born of opposition.
But now, less than a month after it united France's fractured left behind the common goal of stopping the far-right National Rally (RN) surging into government, it finds itself first in line to govern.
Winning 182 seats, the alliance came out top in snap parliamentary elections that concluded last weekend, albeit around 100 seats short of the majority it would need to form a government alone.
Yet the NFP's origins suggest that translating its current momentum into lasting consensus will be far from straightforward.
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Where did the New Popular Front come from?
The NFP rose from the ashes of an earlier left-wing opposition bloc: the New Ecological and Social People's Union, or Nupes.
That alliance, which comprised roughly the same members, lasted barely a year and a half. Formed to contest the last parliamentary elections in June 2022, it won around 140 seats and successfully denied President Emmanuel Macron's centrists a majority.
But with no overall leader and its various factions jostling for position, the union was always precarious. In October 2023, disagreements over the war in Gaza brought the infighting to a head and the alliance collapsed for good.
Or at least, until a new emergency. When the RN came out top in EU elections last month and Macron unexpectedly called a national vote, the left agreed to join forces once again against the far right.
After frantic negotiations, the different camps unveiled their new union on 13 June.
They chose not to revive the Nupes brand. Instead the name invoked one of the most emblematic victories in the history of the left in France: the Popular Front, an alliance formed in the 1930s to counter fascism that went on to pass reforms that radically advanced workers' rights.
Which parties are in it?
The NFP is a big tent that spans the radical left to the centre to the greens. It has four main members:
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France Unbowed (LFI) – 75 seats in parliament
The largest party in the NFP is the furthest to the left. Critical of NATO, the EU and establishment politics in general, it has also proven fiercely opposed to Israel's actions in Gaza – with some prominent members accused of antisemitism.
France Unbowed was founded by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a polarising figure given to hard lines and a combative approach.
He continues to dominate the party despite handing over day-to-day leadership to a lieutenant, Manuel Bompard, and putting younger deputies like Mathilde Panot – who heads the party's parliamentary group – front and centre.
Mélenchon is anathema to many in France's political mainstream, and even fellow leftists have abandoned France Unbowed over what they say are his bulldozer tactics. For loyalists, he remains a defiant figurehead.
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Socialist Party (PS) – 65 seats
Once the dominant force on the left, the Socialists have seen their support collapse in recent years as both France Unbowed and Macron's centrist movement arrived to chip away at their votes.
They are the second-biggest faction in the NFP, but the one with the most experience of governing.
The party is social democratic, pro-European and broadly centre-left. It is led by Olivier Faure, a solidly mainstream figure who has previously distanced himself from the hard left and is already being touted as a possible compromise prime minister.
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The Ecologists (LE) – 33 seats
France's green movement has steadily built support in local and European politics, and at national level is now a regular partner in left-wing alliances.
As well as pushing for renewable energies, sustainable agriculture, a carbon tax and other action to fight climate change, the party is opposed to many of Macron's neoliberal policies – including his flagship pension reform.
Leader Marine Tondelier was one of driving forces behind the NFP and quickly emerged as a forceful and charismatic campaigner for the broader progressive cause.
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French Communist Party (PCF) – 9 seats
The oldest and smallest of the main parties in the NFP, the Communist Party has lost most of its seats in the French parliament over the decades, but retains a few strongholds.
It continues to defend the social security and pension systems it helped put in place after World War II.
It is headed by Fabien Roussel, who was knocked out of the last election in the first round.
Various smaller parties are also part of the alliance, notably Place Publique ("Public Square") – a centre-left, pro-European party led by co-founder Raphaël Glucksmann.
The journalist and documentary maker turned member of the EU parliament is a rising name in politics, and one of the few figures in the NFP with a good chance of building bridges with other camps.
What's the manifesto?
The NFP wants first and foremost to up public spending, floating the figure of 100 billion euros in 2025.
Big-ticket pledges include reversing Macron's pension reform and putting the retirement age back to 60; raising the minimum wage and public sector pay; linking salaries to inflation; cutting income tax and social security for lower earners; and freezing the prices of essentials such as food and fuel.
The alliance says a new wealth tax and other fiscal reforms would offset the extra expense.
Its programme also promises to "ensure a dignified welcome" for immigrants in France, including by streamlining the asylum process and repealing recent laws that sought to facilitate expulsions.
What are the main French parties' campaign promises on immigration?
On foreign policy, the NFP says it will defend Ukraine and call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, including the release of hostages by Hamas. It also plans to recognise a Palestinian state.
The alliance has equally promised to take action against antisemitism, Islamophobia and all forms of discrimination.
What will the NFP do now?
As the largest bloc in parliament, the NFP can reasonably lay claim to the position of prime minister – but with no single leader, it doesn't have an obvious candidate.
The alliance has said it hopes to put forward a name within the week.
It's up to the president to appoint a PM – subject to parliament's approval – so any NFP candidate will only get the job if they stand a reasonable chance of forming a workable government.
What are the next steps now France finds itself with a hung parliament?
That depends on the alliance's willingness to compromise. Mélenchon has insisted that the NFP will enact its policies and only its policies, while Faure is ruling out partnering with the second-biggest alliance in parliament, Macron's centrists.
Without a formal coalition, the NFP would be left to rule by minority, seeking consensus bill by bill – as Macron's outgoing government has done for the past two years.
But moderates including Glucksmann say the bloc must be open to negotiation. If push came to shove, its smaller factions might just have enough weight to form a rival group that could work with the centrists and shut out hardliners.
