New Popular Front's victory cheered by French football stars
The second round of parliamentary elections in France has concluded. The French Ministry of the Interior announced that the New Popular Front secured the largest number of seats. The reactions of the "Les Bleus" national team players to the results are telling.
The New Popular Front, a coalition of left-wing and far-left groups, won 182 seats, surpassing the Together for the Republic coalition centred around Renaissance. This bloc won 168 seats. A significant surprise is that Marine Le Pen's National Rally won third after winning the first round (143 seats).
The French national team reached the semi-finals of Euro 2024, eliminating Portugal in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals. Didier Deschamps' players' successes in Germany coincided with the parliamentary elections in France. Some members of the French squad shared their opinions on the final results on social media.
French football players commented on the parliamentary election results
Several players openly expressed their opposition to right-wing parties, making the New Popular Front's victory favourable to them. For instance, Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni wrote on social media, "Victory of the people!"
FC Barcelona player Jules Kounde, who has frequently spoken on political matters, chose a more extended reflection. He publicly urged votes against Marine Le Pen's party, so, in his view, the victory of the left-wing party was a triumph for the French.
Relief, like the anxiety of the past few weeks, is immense. Congratulations to all French people who mobilised so that this beautiful country, France, is not ruled by the far-right - the defender wrote.
Additionally, PSG player Ousmane Dembele expressed his joy. Right after the election results were announced, the player posted a photo on Instagram in which he smiles after being whistled at the makeshift FC Barcelona stadium. This was a clear indication of his feelings about the situation in France.
Meanwhile, Liverpool's defender Ibrahima Konate posted a message on X with fences and the French flag, mimicking the so-called sanitary cordon, which encourages voters from other parties to avoid choosing the extreme right-wing rival. Marcus Thuram, son of French legend Lilian Thuram and currently a Didier Deschamps squad player, joined his teammates in expressing their delight with the current circumstances.
Congratulations to everyone who responded to the danger hanging over our beautiful country. Long live diversity, long live the Republic, long live France. The fight continues - we read on his InstaStories.
