British Broadcasting Corporation“Victory was taken away from them using dirty tricks,” said Colleen as her children played on a playground in Essine, a suburb of Bordeaux, France.
She could not hide her disappointment after her far-right National League party came in third place in Sunday’s parliamentary election.
“We want change and a RN government,” added her friend Sylvie. “Now we’re going to have to live with whatever comes next.”
Until Sunday, the district was held by Republican Grégoire de Fornes. He became one of the most notorious MPs of the last parliament after shouting “they should go back to Africa” when a black colleague talked about a migrant rescue ship in 2022.
But Mr de Furnas was narrowly defeated by left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) candidate Pascale Got, part of a shock wave of success for the coalition.
An emotional Mrs Gott responded to the election results, saying the new parliament needed to “listen to the wishes of the French people” and deliver “progress and social justice”.
Despite the RN’s gains across the country, it is in third place, behind the NFP and President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist coalition, largely due to a tactical retreat to concentrate anti-far-right votes.
Republican President Jordan Bardella had hoped he would become prime minister if his party won the election. Economic liberals, all united against it.
Shortly after the polls closed, he denounced what he called a “dishonorable alliance” between the NFP and Ensemble, with both companies withdrawing candidates from some races in a bid to defeat the far right.
“Unnatural alliances prevent the French people from freely choosing a different kind of politics,” he added.
“Nine parties have to unite to defeat one party that still has an increase in the number of MPs,” said registered nurse activist Luna Aimé.
The feeling that Republicans were unable to win because of deceit resonated with voters.
“I had a hunch that the RN wasn’t going to win. But I didn’t expect to lose so much.
Colin said the party had suffered a “huge defeat” despite increasing the number of MPs from 89 to 143, its best result in its history. Now it is only slightly smaller than the other two groups.
Her statement reflected high expectations (which RN expressed before the vote) that it would be able to appoint a prime minister and govern France for the first time in the party’s history.
Still, the results showed huge gains for the Nationalist party across France, with party leader Marine Le Pen saying her party’s victory was “only delayed”.
De Furnas thanked the 49% of voters in the constituency who supported him and said: “It will take a little longer than expected to repair this country, but one thing is for sure, we will be in power one day.”
But many in the constituency are relieved that Mr de Furnas and registered nurses more broadly have been delayed, at least for the time being.
Outside a café, Sufian said France has always been and should continue to be a country of cultural fusion.
He said: “De Funas is a racist. When you tell people of color to go back to Africa, that says it all.
“I’m glad he lost.”
