Former Ivorian cleaning lady Rachel Kéké has been elected to the French parliament in last Sunday’s legislative elections defeating her opponent from the presidential majority, Roxana Maracineanu by 177 votes.

Backed by the left-wing Nouvelle Union Populaire Ecologique et Sociale (NUPES), the 48 year-old promised a voice to the voiceless.

“I am the voice of the voiceless. I am a maid, I am a cleaner, security guard, care assistant, home helper, I am all these invisible jobs. And at the National Assembly, these jobs will become visible”, promised newly-elected MP, Rachel Kéké.

The French Ivorian replaces President Macron’s former sports minister, Roxana Maracineanu, in a seat representing a Paris south-eastern suburb.

Kéké was one of a group of cleaning ladies who took their employer to court over pay and working conditions and won. Being an MP was not in her plans.

“I will meet all the young people in my constituency, because these young people who no longer believe in life, these young people who are desperate, these young people who say to themselves: ‘No, France is not good, France is bad, I say no’. We are going to work together to offer young people a France with a new face”, promised the newly-elected MP.

Left-wing alliance NUPES emerged as one of the dominant political forces after Sunday’s legislative elections that resulted in the loss of President Macron’s majority in parliament.