Given for dead six months ago, the left is back.

By winning 131 seats of deputies, Sunday, June 19, in the second round of the legislative elections, the New popular ecological and social union (Nupes) – born of the alliance between La France insoumise (LFI), Europe Écologie-Les Verts (EELV) , the Socialist Party (PS) and the Communist Party (PCF) – of Jean-Luc Mélenchon became the main opposition force to Emmanuel Macron in the National Assembly.

For the former presidential candidate, the bet is lost since he hoped to force Emmanuel Macron to cohabit.

But as often with Jean-Luc Mélenchon, his reading of the results on Sunday evening was synonymous with victory.

"The situation is totally unexpected, absolutely unheard of. The rout of the presidential party is total," he exclaimed from the Élysée Montmartre.

"We have achieved the political objective that we had set ourselves: in less than a month, to bring down the man who, with such arrogance, twisted the arm of the country to be elected president without anyone knowing what for. ", he added.

The rout of the presidential party is total.



We have succeeded in the political objective that we had set ourselves in less than a month: to bring down the man who, with so much arrogance, had twisted the arm of the whole country.

#NUPES #legislatives2022 pic.twitter.com/HwmkZ2Ag6S

— Jean-Luc Melenchon (@JLMelenchon) June 19, 2022

Even if the majority is not reached for Nupes, it is clear that Jean-Luc Mélenchon has achieved a double tour de force.

He first managed to bring together a left divided for years on a common program in record time, launching an undeniable dynamic behind this union.

This led to the election of 131 deputies on Sunday evening, according to official figures from the Ministry of the Interior, which deprived Emmanuel Macron of an absolute majority at the Palais Bourbon – his coalition Together!

obtaining only 245 deputies, far from the 289 required.

>> To read: Legislative: setback for Emmanuel Macron, without a majority to govern

Because if the National Rally achieved a record score with 89 deputies, it was indeed the Nupes campaign that made it possible to mobilize voters opposed to the presidential coalition on the issues of an election that was too often perceived - since 2002 and the inversion of the electoral calendar, passing the legislative elections after the presidential one - as a formality for the newly elected president.

By campaigning on his proposals – retirement at 60, Smic at 1,500 euros net, price freeze, etc.

– and by transforming the legislative elections into an anti-Macron referendum, the union of the left avoided the demobilization of its electorate, even if a good part of the voters on the left in the first round of the presidential election ultimately abstained:

Prestigious victories against Macronie

The leaders of LFI, EELV, PS and PCF, however, did not shy away from their pleasure on Sunday evening.

Especially since the Nupes can be proud of having inflicted symbolic defeats on macronie: its candidates have knocked out Amélie de Montchalin, Jean-Michel Blanquer, Richard Ferrand, Christophe Castaner, Justine Benin or even Roxana Maracineanu.

She also had personalities from civil society with an atypical background elected, such as chambermaid Rachel Keke.

To celebrate these successes, Julien Bayou (EELV), also present at the Élysée Montmartre, had all the components of Nupes applauded, and paid tribute to LFI: "You can applaud them because they are obviously the rebellious, in first place, which made this coalition possible."

✌️ “We are particularly proud of the Socialist Party for having contributed to the success of this union of the left and ecology thanks to the #NUPES.

We are going in force to the National Assembly.

– @CorinneNara



#VcommeVictoire pic.twitter.com/DOXaOk9Y4B

— Socialist Party (@partisocialiste) June 19, 2022

For the number 2 of the PS, Corinne Narassiguin, also on stage, "our alliance strategy has worked, we will almost triple the number of left representatives, and the intergroup will become the first opposition force".

At the PS, "we made the right choice, we responded to the expectations of voters who wanted union", "in their eyes we have re-anchored ourselves on the left", she added.

>> To read: When the Nupes program rekindles the battle between economists

Ian Brossat, the right arm of the communist Fabien Roussel, re-elected like his socialist counterpart Olivier Faure and all the major figures of the left who presented themselves, is meanwhile convinced: "The President of the Republic will have to give up many of his social regression reforms. In any case, there will not be a majority to vote for retirement" at 65.

"The reality is that this is not the ambition we had"

The question of the future of Nupes in the short and medium term is however posed.

Will the union of the left break up and give reason to its opponents who saw in it only an alliance of circumstances or will it be perpetuated over time?

The prospect of obtaining the official status of the first opposition group at the Palais Bourbon – and the prerogatives that go with it such as a vice-presidency of the National Assembly and the presidency of the finance committee – in front of the 89 deputies of the RN could encourage the left to create a real Nupes group rather than a simple unofficial "inter-group" as mentioned so far.

>> To read: What to remember from the results of the second round of the legislative elections

But, on the one hand, the Nupes risks being attacked by Emmanuel Macron trying to lure into his nets PS and EELV deputies not completely comfortable with a leadership of the left now carried by LFI.

And on the other, the boss of the PCF, Fabien Roussel, never gave the impression of having both feet fully in the union.

The former communist presidential candidate had thus left before Jean-Luc Mélenchon's speech, on May 7, during the Nupes launch meeting, then systematically missed the events bringing together the four parties, most often being represented by Ian Brossat.

Fabien Roussel had also distanced himself from Jean-Luc Mélenchon's remarks about the police who "kill".

And on Sunday evening, he did not fail to underline, on France 3, the limits of Nupes, which "

🗣️ "The Nupes alliance did not achieve a majority. The alliance only speaks to part of France, that of the cities and not that of rurality."

Fabien Roussel (Nupes/PC)



▶ #Législatives2022 @France3tv pic.twitter.com/mrQlK7ZIRG

– Info France 3 (@infofrance3) June 19, 2022

Others also expressed reservations about the results of their coalition.

“We had aimed to have a much greater political force than what we are given as a result this evening. When we plan to try to have the Prime Minister and the government, which we hope for at least 200 deputies, and that we have 150 on arrival, the reality is that it is not the ambition we had", commented on franceinfo the former boss of EELV, David Cormand.

"We are the second force but it's not enough, we had hoped for better but it's an encouraging result," said PS first secretary Olivier Faure, who was re-elected.

Finally, there remains the suspense surrounding the role and place of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who was not a candidate for re-election, within the left in the months and years to come.

"As for me, I am changing my combat position, but my commitment is, will remain, until my last breath, in the first of your ranks, if you want it", launched the leader of Nupes during his speech on Sunday evening.

A most enigmatic statement that leaves all doors open, including that, even if he had promised the opposite, of a new candidacy for the presidential election in 2027.

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