This Sunday, French voters returned to the polls for a second round where the mood on the ground was one of uncertainty and possibility. A neighbor from Paris’s 4th district described the moment as one where anything could happen, stepping out of the polling place with a sense that momentum could swing in unexpected directions. Polls pointed to a rightward victory for Marine Le Pen, but without an absolute majority, and few predicted that the New Popular Front would surge, leaving the National Rally with another close call.
The left’s strategy, including the formation of the New Popular Front and a cooperative approach with the Macron camp to withdraw candidates in the runoff, helped curb the far right’s gains in France. The results may set a precedent ahead of the 2027 presidential race, with many seeing these legislative elections as a referendum on whether the far right could or could not govern.
With no clear majority, several scenarios could unfold, though no fixed timetable exists. French law does not mandate a government change if no absolute majority is present, even though the prime minister signaled his resignation. The path forward could involve either the president appointing a prime minister from the larger but relatively weaker bloc, or a broader coalition forming a so-called rainbow government. In this moment, a potential coalition might include the New Popular Front, the presidential majority, and The Republicans, the traditional center-right party.
Another option, viewed by some political analysts as less likely, is a technocratic government. In this scenario, senior civil servants and nonpartisan experts would run the cabinet to address current issues, manage crises, or push targeted reforms, avoiding a political stalemate entirely.
This idea is not without precedent in France. In 1954, Pierre Mendès France brought in experts to help push economic and social reforms. In 1958, Charles de Gaulle assumed the presidency amid a political crisis and formed a technocratic cabinet that helped stabilize the nation and craft the new Constitution of the Fifth Republic.
Now the time comes for bargaining. Left and center-right parties must sit down to seek a clear majority that can govern. One stumbling block is the stance of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who has ruled out any alliance with La France Insoumise. That stance has complicated the possible equations, particularly after the prime minister, Attal, left politics.
Yet Mélenchon commands a substantial number of votes that could be pivotal in coalitional talks with the New Popular Front, potentially helping to unlock a governing path for France and lifting the country from a political impasse. In the wake of the polling results, Macron’s allies argued that the people had rejected the worst option and urged the New Popular Front to participate in governance.
Another influential factor shaping the outcome is turnout. The rate could approach 67 percent, marking the highest participation in legislative elections since 1997 and underscoring how much the public attention has intensified the stakes of this cycle.