The party is more fun when it's improvised, the joy all the more intense when it is unexpected. Several thousand Parisians gathered in Place de la République on Sunday, July 7, to watch the results of the second round of legislative elections, to dream without daring to believe and, in all likely, to "weep together" at the victory that all the polls were promising the far-right Rassemblement National (RN). A few minutes before 8 pm, the atmosphere was still quiet, as elusive as a tipping point between two worlds. And then, at exactly 8 pm, telephones buzzed and a huge roar set the crowd ablaze.

At the same time, the shouts of joy rose in many parts of the country, from Rennes to Marseille and Lyon, where candidates with the left-wing Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) coalition won all four constituencies. It also swept through the streets of Ménilmontant, a left-wing area in the east of the capital, like the thrill of victory in a World Cup final spreading from window to window. It was easy to see that the left had won. In the bars on Rue Sorbier in the 20^th arrondissement, the tense, attentive crowd turned to jubilation, while locals shouted their incredulous joy from balconies.

On another Place de la République, in the western city of Rennes, Morgane, Léna and Camille looked as if they were having a bad day as they melted into a crowd of some 500 people to share the moment they had been dreading. They couldn't believe the first results. They asked those around them to check. Was the left really ahead of the RN? Yes. They hugged each other, their eyes reddening. "We came here to find support and show our opposition to the far right. Now we're ready to share our relief!" said the three medical students.

'I feel French, I'm happy'

Back to Paris, at Place de la République, 10 minutes after the first projections were announced. Perched on the statue's base, activists waved French flags and a Palestinian flag, shouting anti-fascist chants ("And everyone hates the fascists"), its anti-RN version ("And everyone hates [RN President] Bardella"), and a few slogans hostile to the media organizations owned by billionaire Vincent Bolloré: "Bolloré, get lost!"

It was 8:10 pm. A young NFP activist, too busy chatting and singing, had missed the news. Suddenly, he realized: "Are we first?" he asked, not quite believing it, to his friends, who jumped on him. "Ah, the joy!" he shouted. All around him, smiles, everywhere, eyes searching for each other, sparkling but still cautious. The surprise was so intense that disbelief still mingled with relief. The happiness hovering over the square was real, but measured.

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