European leaders express ‘happiness’ over French elections results

By Merve Berker

European leaders on Sunday and Monday expressed how “happy” they feel over the election results in France, following the UK elections.

“This week, two of the largest countries in Europe have chosen the same path that Spain chose a year ago: rejection of the extreme right and a decisive commitment to a social left that addresses people's problems with serious and brave policies,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on X.

Both the UK and France “have said YES to progress and social advancement and NO to the regression in rights and freedoms,” he said.

The Spanish leader added: “There is no agreement or government with the extreme right.”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X: “In Paris enthusiasm, in Moscow disappointment, in Kyiv relief. Enough to be happy in Warsaw.”

Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also said on X that he feels “very happy with the demonstration of greatness and maturity of the political forces in France that united against extremism in today's legislative elections.”

“This result, as well as the victory of the Labor party in the United Kingdom, reinforces the importance of dialogue between progressive segments in defense of democracy and social justice,” he stressed.

“They should serve as an inspiration for South America,” the Brazilian president added.

Greek opposition leader Nikos Androulakis also commented on the election results in France on X: “A great victory for France and Europe. A great victory for the Republic.”

“With their cumulative participation in the polls, the people of France raised walls against the extreme right, racism and intolerance and guarded the timeless principles of the French Republic: Liberty, Equality and Fraternity,” he added.

In the second round of France's early general elections on July 7, the leftist New Popular Front won the most seats in the National Assembly with 178, while Macron's alliance secured 150 seats, and the far-right National Rally (RN) obtained 125 seats.

The elections saw a participation rate of 66.6%, and no alliance achieved the absolute majority of 289 seats.

The RN's earlier success in the European Parliament elections led to Macron dissolving the parliament and calling for early elections, resulting in significant changes in the distribution of seats among the major parties.

In the UK, Keir Starmer's Labour Party won the House of Commons by a landslide, capturing 412 of the chamber's 650 seats.

The Conservative Party, which ruled the country for the last 14 years, suffered a major defeat by losing 250 seats, from 471 to 121, with 23.7% of the vote.