French MEP Glucksmann joins left-wing union New Popular Front, vows clear stance on Gaza, Ukraine

French MEP Raphaël Glucksmann on Friday said he was joining the left-wing union, the New Popular Front, in a bid to stop the far-right from winning a parliamentary majority in France's snap elections later this month.

Glucksmann, whose party trailed in third place in the European Parliamentary elections last week, told France Inter radio on Friday morning: “The only thing that matters to me is that the Rassemblement National (National Rally or RN) don’t win and won’t govern. That’s what’s important, and the only way to do that is a leftist union,” he said.

Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally scored an unprecedented 31 percent of the French votes in the European elections last week, prompting French President Emmanuel Macron to dissolve parliament and call legislative elections.

Macron’s own centre-right alliance came a distant second place in the European elections, garnering less than half of the votes won by the National Rally.

In a bid to block the far right in France's upcoming elections, a group of left-wing parties, including the Socialist Party (PS), the Greens and the French Communist Party (PCF) and La France insoumise (France Unbowed or LFI) party, on Thursday agreed to form an alliance, the New Popular Front.


Read more on FRANCE 24 English

Read also:
A ‘non’ for Mélenchon? France’s left seeks unifying figure ahead of legislative elections
French conservatives in turmoil as leader backs Le Pen alliance for snap elections
French right fractures ahead of Macron’s snap poll as left launches 'New Popular Front'