President Emmanuel Macron's Ensemble! (presidential majority, see note 1) came first with 245 seats but lost its majority in the 577-member National Assembly. The New Environmental and Social People's Union (NUPES), a left-wing electoral alliance led by Mr. Jean-Luc Mélenchon (see note 2), came second with 131 seats. The right-wing National Rally (RN, formerly National Front), de facto led by Ms. Marine Le Pen (see note 3), sharply increased its share, taking 89 seats (up from 8 previously). It became the largest opposition party in the new legislature. Several ministers and the outgoing Speaker, Richard Ferrand (Republic on the Move – REM), failed to retain their seats. The number of women decreased for the first time since 1988: 215 women were elected in 2022, down from 224 in 2017. On 28 June, the newly elected National Assembly elected Ms. Yaël Braun-Pivet as its new President, who thereby became the first woman to assume the post.

The 2022 elections were held two months after the presidential elections in which President Macron defeated Ms. Le Pen (RN) in run-offs on 24 April. Following the presidential elections, he appointed Ms. Elisabeth Borne as the new Prime Minister, who thereby became the second woman to assume the post in France. The 2022 parliamentary elections were held against the backdrop of war in Ukraine, which has triggered soaring energy and food prices in France and across Europe. Key electoral issues included pension reform, consumer spending power and immigration.

Note 1:
The Republic on the Move (REM), which had won 308 seats in the 2017 elections, was renamed “Renaissance” on 5 April 2022, before changing its name again on 10 May to Ensemble! (meaning “Together”). The Ensemble party is officially led by Mr. Stanislas Guerini.

Note 2:
The electoral alliance NUPES comprised Mr. Mélenchon’s La France insoumise (France Unbowed, FI), Europe Ecology – The Greens, Génération.s, Génération Écologie, Les nouveaux Démocrates, the French Communist Party, and the Socialist Party (PS). Following the elections, Mr. Mélenchon (FI) proposed forming a joint parliamentary group in the new legislature. However, members of other parties said they would form their own parliamentary groups given that NUPES was an electoral alliance.

Note 3:
Ms. Le Pen stepped down as the President of RN in September 2021 in view of the 2022 presidential elections. Mr. Jordan Bardella succeeded her in an acting capacity in November 2021.