Video: Left-Wing French Leaders Refuse Handshake With National Rally MP

A video of the parliamentary voting during a season on July 18 has highlighted the division within French politics. 

In the clip, shared on X (formerly Twitter), newly appointed MP Flavien Termet, from the National Rally right-wing party, can be seen standing next to a ballot box. One by one, the MPs are walking in to cast their votes. As the left-wing MPs make their way to the ballot box, they refuse to shake hands with 22-year-old Termet. We can see the MPs simply ignoring his gesture to shake hands. 

So much so that MP Francois Piquemal, who represents the La France Insoumise, makes a rock-paper-scissors motion to avoid shaking hands with Termet. 

Towards the end, Sebastien Delogu is seen staring at Flavien Termet as he extends his hand. For context, the first session of a newly formed government in the Parliament is chaired by the oldest MP. Whereas, the youngest MP begin his/her secretary. In this case, Termet is expected to shake hands with MPs after the vote. 

MP Francois Piquemal has also shared a video from the Parliament session on X (formerly Twitter) and said, “If the ballot boxes are like rock paper scissors, in the end, it is the NFP [New Popular Front] which wins.”

Sebastien Delogu also dropped a clip of his intense eye-to-eye moment with Flavien Termet on X. The note, which was originally in French, read, “Shake hands with a racist party? NEVER.”

After the heated voting session on Thursday, Emmanuel Macron's party received a green signal to form a new government. The last-minute agreement between Macroon and some lawmakers who were ready for the alliance sealed the deal, reported Politico. Macron had called for a snap parliamentary elections after the far right gained in the European elections.

Meanwhile, things took an ugly turn between the left-wing collision party New Popular Front, which won the most number of seats in the 2024 French  Elections. The collision comprises environmentalist parties, the French Socialists and Communists and the hard-left France Unbowed party. According to the Interior Ministry, the leftist coalition has taken the most seats in parliament, with at least 181. Macron's centrists have more than 160 seats. Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally have 143 seats, reported AP.

The crack within the left-wing collision started after LPI accused the Socialist Party (PS) of “unacceptable methods” in vetoing suggestions for the next government.

In a statement, the France Unbowed party said, “Is the PS playing for time to allow the NFP to crumble and abandoning the programme on which it was elected? We will not allow this stalemate to facilitate presidential manoeuvres.”

“The PS has chosen to veto any candidacy [for prime minister] from the NFP, with the sole aim of imposing its own, arguing that it would be the only one acceptable to Emmanuel Macron. It is thus making the president of the republic the decision-maker on our alliance, even though it has been formed against him and his policies,” the statement added.