BBC reaction to far-right drubbing in France raises a few eyebrows

The BBC’s reaction to Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally being defeated in the second round of the legislative elections in France has raised a few eyebrows on social media.

After leading in the first round, the right-wing party managed to only take 143 seats on Sunday, behind a leftist coalition of parties which took 182 seats and president Emmanuel Macron’s centrists, which have 168 seats.

Macron will have to form alliances to run the government with France facing the prospect of a hung parliament and political paralysis.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said he plans to resign, but will remain in the post during the upcoming Paris Olympics and for as long as needed.

The most prominent of the leftist coalition’s leaders, Jean-Luc Melenchon, said it “is ready to govern.”

There will likely be weeks of intense political negotiations to choose a new prime minister and form a government.

But it was the BBC’s reaction to the news that raised suspicion back home in Blighty, with the channel appearing disappointed by the outcome.

Here’s the best of the reaction:

Jack Peat

Jack is a business and economics journalist and the founder of The London Economic (TLE). He has contributed articles to VICE, Huffington Post and Independent and is a published author. Jack read History at the University of Wales, Bangor and has a Masters in Journalism from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.