What does the French left-wing alliance’s shock election win mean for Europe?

Experts say the anti-far-right bulwark has safeguarded the European bloc from a political shock.

Transcript

00:00A sigh of relief in Brussels. The far right did not sweep to power in the French legislative

00:07elections. The presidential party of Emmanuel Macron has avoided humiliation by finishing

00:13in second place. It means relative stability for the European Union. While Macron could

00:18still face political chaos at home, analysts say he should be able to retain his influence

00:24in Brussels.

00:25The left wing new popular front pulled off a shock victory and says it now should be

00:48able to nominate a prime minister. Certain aspects of its programme, such as lowering

00:53retirement age to 60 and increasing the minimum wage to €1,600 a month, worry some in Brussels.

01:00The measures could run counter to European treaties which limit a member state's public

01:04deficit to 3% of its gross domestic product.

01:35The left wing new popular front includes parties from across the left side of the political

01:40spectrum. They will need to consolidate their position on support for Ukraine if they are

01:45to govern, analysts say.

02:04Kyiv will likely look to November's US presidential election and a potential Trump return as a

02:33bigger threat to its military aid from the West.