How did the left-wing alliance win the election in France? Rent, retirement age, taxes...

In the second round of the early general elections held yesterday, following a decision by French President Emmanuel Macron, the left-wing New Popular Front alliance emerged as the winner, securing 178 seats in the National Assembly.

According to the election results announced by the Ministry of the Interior, the New Popular Front alliance, formed by four left-wing parties, became the party with the most seats in the Assembly in the early general elections held on July 7. The New Popular Front won 178 seats. Macron's alliance entered the Assembly with 150 seats, while the far-right National Rally (RN) alliance secured 125 seats.

The voter turnout was recorded at 66.6 percent. With these results, no alliance or party reached the absolute majority of 289 seats in the assembly.

MACRON LOST 100 SEATS

Thus, the number of seats held by Macron's alliance in the Assembly, which was previously 250, fell to 150. The number of seats held by the far-right RN alliance rose from 89 to 125. The left-wing alliance increased its seat count from 150 to 178.

HOW WAS THE ALLIANCE FORMED?

According to a report compiled by BirGün; following the far-right's victory in the European Parliament elections in France on June 10, President Macron had decided to call for early elections.

Left-wing and socialist parties in the country had shown a will to unite against the far-right. This will developed after the public took to the streets following the EP elections and called for the left to unite.

The New Popular Front Alliance included some of the country's leading left-wing parties: the Socialist Party (PS), La France Insoumise (LFI), the French Communist Party (PCF), and the environmentalist party The Greens (EELV).

In the first round of the general elections held in France on June 30, the far-right RN alliance had come in first with around 33 percent of the vote, the left-wing New Popular Front had received 28 percent, and the Together for the Republic alliance, which supports Macron, had received 20 percent.

HOW DID THE ELECTION VICTORY COME ABOUT?

The winner of yesterday's second round, the left-wing New Popular Front, emphasized the danger of the far-right during the election campaign and made notable promises in the economic sphere.

During the election campaign, the left-wing alliance, which promised to raise the minimum wage to 1600 euros, pledged to adjust salaries and pensions according to the inflation rate and to freeze food, energy, and fuel prices to increase the public's purchasing power.

RENT SUBSIDY

The alliance's promises also included increasing rent subsidies by 10 percent and lowering the retirement age to 60.

The alliance also promised that if elected, they would repeal the controversial reform made by the Macron government to unemployment benefits and reverse the pension reform law that raised the retirement age from 62 to 64.

The left-wing alliance's campaign also included a plan for green transition and major investments in public services.

INCOME TAX

In a joint press conference held last Friday, officials from the left-wing alliance stated that public revenues would increase by 30 billion euros in 2024, 100 billion euros in 2025, and 150 billion euros in 2026 during the alliance's first three years in government.

The officials stated that they would achieve this increase in public revenue through taxation applied to corporate profits and that they would cover the cost of the significant increase in public spending in this way.

On the other hand, the left-wing alliance promised a finance bill this summer that would overhaul the tax system by increasing the number of income tax brackets from 5 to 14 and replacing France's fixed social security contributions with a progressive system.

Reintroducing the wealth tax, which was abolished by Macron, closing a series of tax loopholes, and introducing a maximum inheritance right are among the left-wing alliance's plans.

PROMISE TO RECOGNIZE PALESTINE

While the left-wing alliance promised to officially recognize Palestine, it pledged to impose sanctions against Israel as long as it does not comply with international law in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of La France Insoumise (LFI), the largest party in the New Popular Front, stated that as a government, they could decide on "a large number of things by decree" both nationally and internationally.

Reiterating his campaign promise to "recognize the Palestinian state," Melenchon said that recognizing the Palestinian state "as quickly as possible" would be among the actions they would take in this context.

News Source: 12punto