The NFP left-wing alliance united behind the surprising and relatively unknown candidate Lucie Castets for prime minister, avoiding previous conflicts over other candidates.

The Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) left-wing alliance, on the verge of imploding, united behind Lucie Castets as their candidate for prime minister on July 23.

Lucie Castets is an unexpected choice, being relatively unknown to both the public and political circles.

Castets is the finance director for Paris City Hall and a graduate of the Ecole Nationale d’Administration.

The NFP had previously failed to agree on two other candidates: Laurence Tubiana and Huguette Bello.

The NFP consists of La France Insoumise (LFI), the Communists, the Greens, and the Socialists.

Castets, 37, describes herself as left-wing but is not affiliated with any political party, though she was a member of the Parti Socialiste from 2008 to 2011.

Castets is not interested in the 2027 presidential election, posing no threat to any NFP components.