French elections: Left-wing parties form ‘popular front’ to fight National Rally

With little more than two weeks left before French voters go to the polls, the pace of campaigning has been frenetic and the main three groups have launched direct attacks on their rivals.

France’s fragmented political landscape and two-round system encourage alliances, which is why the Socialists have agreed to join forces with the Greens, Communists and France Unbowed, the far-left party of Jean-Luc Mélénchon.

The former presidential candidate has alienated many voters on the left by focusing on criticising Israel over the war in Gaza, and his party trailed the Socialists under Raphaël Glucksmann in last Sunday’s elections.

However Mr Glucksmann decided the risk of letting down his centre-left voters was worth taking.

“The only thing that matters to me is that the National Rally doesn’t win the elections and won’t govern the country,” he told France Inter radio, adding that Jean-Luc Mélenchon would not lead a left-wing movement.

“We can’t leave France to the Le Pen family,” he said. While Marine Le Pen leads the parliamentary party, she now has the backing of her niece Marion Maréchal who has been thrown out of a rival far-right party for calling on voters to vote for National Rally.