'A lot of hope for the future': Crowds celebrate French left's win, far right's defeat
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00:00As the estimated results appeared on television at 8pm last night,
00:03across Paris, which voted largely for the left-wing bloc,
00:06many cheers followed by people taking to the streets.
00:09Celebrations breaking out at a series of locations,
00:12including Place de la Republique,
00:13as people gathered to celebrate the pushing of the far-right into third place.
00:17Fireworks also set off around the huge statue of Marianne there.
00:21One saying they had not been expecting the results,
00:25but they're so happy the French people have once again blocked the far-rights.
00:28Well, let's hear from some of the reaction from them.
00:33It gives me hope to know that France isn't just the National Rally,
00:37something we've tended to believe recently,
00:39and in truth it feels so good and gives us hope.
00:44It really hasn't sunk in, and I'm very emotional.
00:47I don't really know how I feel, but I'm really happy.
00:50There's a crazy energy and I'm getting chills.
00:53I'm still moved.
00:55It's incredible. We're relieved.
00:57There's a lot of hope.
00:58There's a lot of hope for the future of France, for the left.
01:03It's a victory, but it's a relative victory,
01:05because there are still 150 people from the National Rally in the Assembly,
01:09so we have to keep fighting, even in the streets.
01:12Reaction there from some of the left supporters.
01:14Well, let's cross then to the left's popular front headquarters.
01:16We're going to talk to our reporter who joins us from there, Sophie Lamar.
01:19Sophie, much jubilation there.
01:22Absolutely.
01:24Jubilation, I think, is reserved for last night, as you've just mentioned.
01:27As the results came in at 8pm,
01:29highly unexpected results as they beat every exit poll
01:34that was given before the second round of these elections.
01:37Screams, chanting, crowds cheering and applauding all across Paris.
01:43It felt like something that we see when France is winning a football match
01:48in a big tournament.
01:49It really was quite an atmosphere of jubilation and celebration.
01:52Overall, today is more the idea of how is this going to function in reality?
01:57What is going to be the composition of Parliament?
02:01We're not seeing much activity here.
02:04The view is blocked by a truck that's just come by.
02:06But we're seeing mainly journalists outside of the France Unbowed headquarters.
02:12We're waiting for members of the party to come out and give out statements.
02:16But for now, they're not really speaking to the press.
02:19It's the sense that they're just putting their head down, getting to work,
02:23finding that strategy, what they're going to do internally,
02:26what they're going to decide internally
02:28before taking it to other parties within the coalition
02:31and how they're going to essentially select a prime minister.
02:33Because that's the big question in France today.
02:36Which party is going to see their figurehead sit in the seat of the prime minister?
02:43What are they going to be able to find common ground?
02:49And what is that common ground going to look like essentially?
02:53Yeah, it's going to be complicated, isn't it?
02:55The left really hoping that Emmanuel Macron is going to have to turn towards them
03:00in order to form some kind of coalition to take the country forward.
03:07Absolutely.
03:08There's already some disagreements over the method that's going to be chosen
03:13to select a prime minister.
03:16We were hearing different things from different party heads.
03:19Some want an internal election within each party within the coalition
03:26to the new Popular Front coalition.
03:30We're seeing people who want to see the party within the coalition
03:33who got the most seats in parliament to have their figurehead
03:36become the next prime minister.
03:37Some want to turn towards a coalition with Macron.
03:40Some say there's a red line essentially with Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
03:44They're saying they won't have him as prime minister, the leader of France En Barde.
03:49While LFE France En Barde is saying that they won't do coalitions with
03:53parties who will essentially force them to water down their program.
03:59So that's going to be the main question today.
04:01We've heard from party leaders who say they should put a name for it by the end of the week.
04:06So we'll be looking out for that.