Monday Briefing: Left Gains Popularity in French Elections
Far right expected to finish third in French election
A coalition of left-wing parties known as the New Popular Front was predicted to come first in France’s parliamentary elections, winning more seats in the National Assembly than the far-right Rassemblement National party or President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Renaissance Party.
Predictions based on preliminary results undermined expectations of a clear victory for Marine Le Pen’s right-wing, anti-immigration National Rally, which dominated the first round of voting a week ago.
Candidates across France dropped out of the three-way race, calling for unity against the National Rally. Now it appears that the battle between centrists and the left to form a “Republican Front” to thwart the National Rally in the second round of voting has worked.
The election was still a major blow to Macron, who lost more than a third of the seats of his party and allies. He faces a deeply divided lower house, no governing coalition is immediately likely, and the Paris Olympics are less than three weeks away. Continued political deadlock is a real possibility.
The New Popular Front campaigned on raising the monthly minimum wage, lowering the legal retirement age, reinstating a wealth tax and freezing the price of energy and gas. Rather than restricting immigration, as the National Rally promised, the alliance said it would make the asylum process more generous and flexible.
Here’s more about the New Popular Front, and this is why some rural voters became supporters of National Rally.
A reformist candidate won Iran’s presidential election
In an election surprise in Iran, a candidate who advocated moderate domestic policies and improved relations with the West won Saturday’s presidential election against a hardliner. The special election was called after President Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash in May.
Masoud Pezeshkian, a 69-year-old heart surgeon, won 16.3 million votes, about 3 million more than his conservative opponent Saeed Jalili. It was a major victory for the country’s relatively moderate reformist camp, which has been sidelined in recent years.
The first round of voting saw record-low turnout as many Iranians boycotted it in protest. But the prospect of a hardline government that could have tightened social rules and exacerbated economic problems by failing to negotiate a lifting of international sanctions appears to have spurred voters to turn out.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, wields most power in the government. But analysts said the incoming president would shape domestic policies and influence the shape of foreign policy. Here are four takeaways.
What’s next: With Pezeshkian as president, Iran could see a relaxation of its absolutist foreign policy and even a chance for a new diplomatic opening.
Brutal kidnappings shake Kenya awake
At least 32 people have been abducted or arbitrarily detained in Kenya in the past two weeks, according to interviews with human rights monitors and dozens of activists, including five who said they had been detained. Several remain missing, lawyers say.
Several people said they were abducted, beaten and interrogated by government security forces after speaking out against a controversial bill to raise taxes in the East African country. Kenya’s President William Ruto abandoned the bill last month after at least 39 people were killed in protests that swept across the country.
MORE TOP NEWS
The Orient Express conjures up visions of a five-star luxury train with all the bells and whistles of the Belle Epoque. A sleeper car in the modern version can cost almost $50,000, but you can arrange the trip from Paris to Istanbul yourself — including private compartments — for less than $1,000. Our correspondent tested the ride.
CONVERSATION STARTERS
How Olympians Train When It’s Scorching Hot
The Paris Olympics this month could be the hottest in history, surpassing the 2021 Tokyo Games. Training for the Olympics is now as much about athletes’ ability to handle the heat as it is about strength and speed. The best preparation is two to three weeks of training in sweltering temperatures.
Some runners use a heat-trapping garment that one coach described as a “marshmallow suit” to approximate those conditions. The Belgian hockey team trained in a heat chamber set to 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius). Other athletes try to stay cool by wearing ice vests before games or holding frozen balloons.
See how they perform despite the heat.
