French elections: Left unites to threaten Macron in parliamentary vote
Having beaten the far right to retain the presidency in April, France's leader Emmanuel Macron is facing an unexpected challenge from a former Marxist on the far left.
A new five-party alliance led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon is expected to make sweeping gains in legislative elections here on Sunday, possibly even blocking the government's majority in France's 577-seat National Assembly.
And, with the directness that he's known for, Mr Mélenchon, who leads the far-left La France Insoumise (France Unbowed) party, has chosen a simple slogan for his campaign posters: "Mélenchon: prime minister."
"The threat is clearly there. If we look at the polls, we are very close," government candidate Paul Midy told me, as he chatted to voters at a market in Essonne, south of Paris.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61744248