French political leaders react to upset election result

PARIS (Reuters) – Following are reactions to the upset results of France’s parliamentary election on Sunday. The country was on course for a hung parliament with the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) coming first, ahead of President Emmanuel Macron’s centrists and the far-right National Rally (RN), according to pollsters’ projections based on early results from a sample of polling stations.

JEAN-LUC MELENCHON, HARD-LEFT FRANCE UNBOWED PARTY

“The will of the people must be strictly respected. No arrangement would be acceptable. The defeat of the president and his coalition is clearly confirmed. The president must accept his defeat.

“The prime minister must go. The president must invite the New Popular Front to govern.”

JORDAN BARDELLA, FAR-RIGHT NATIONAL RALLY PARTY

“I say tonight with gravity that depriving millions of French people of the possibility of seeing their ideas brought to power will never be a viable destiny for France.

“Tonight, by deliberately trying to paralyze our institutions, Emmanuel Macron has not simply pushed the country towards uncertainty and instability, he has deprived the French people of any response to their day-to-day difficulties for many months to come.

“In the midst of a purchasing power crisis, with insecurity and disorder hitting the country hard, France is deprived of a majority, of a government to act, and therefore of a clear course to turn France around.”

GERALD DARMANIN, INTERIOR MINISTER, KEY FIGURE IN MACRON’S CENTRIST CAMP

“I note that today, no one can say they have won this legislative election, especially not Mister Melenchon.”

RAPHAEL GLUCKSMANN, SOCIALIST PARTY

“We’re ahead, but we’re in a divided parliament … so we’re going to have to act like grown-ups.

“We’re going to have to talk, to discuss, to engage in dialogue … The balance of power has shifted in parliament … and there’s going to be a fundamental change of political culture.”

OLIVIER FAURE, SOCIALIST PARTY

“We have to do our utmost to reunite the country. The RN had made the choice of dividing French citizens from one another. We have to restore the country on a clear basis and the New Popular Front must take the lead in this new chapter of our history.”

(Compiled by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Frances Kerry)