PARIS, JUL 8: France’s Prime Minister Gabriel Attal is set to submit his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron on Monday after the leftist New Popular Front (NFP) won the most parliamentary seats in high-stakes legislative elections. But with the left coalition failing to win an absolute majority in the National Assembly, France faces political uncertainties as the country awaits a new government just weeks before Paris hosts the Olympic Games. Follow our liveblog for the latest updates.
French politicians on Monday begin negotiations to form a government after the National Assembly was split into three blocks in the wake of snap legislative elections. The leftist New Popular Front coalition emerged as the dominant force, winning 182 seats, far short of the 289 needed for an absolute majority in the 577-member chamber. President Emmanuel Macron’s Ensemble came next, with 168 seats followed by the far-right National Rally (RN), which came third with 143 seats.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal is due to hand in his resignation Monday, but said he was willing to remain in the post during the upcoming Paris Olympics. Macron will wait until he knows the “structure” of the new chamber before deciding who he will appoint as prime minister, according to the Élysée presidential palace.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, head of the hard left France Unbowed party on Sunday urged Macron to “bow down and accept defeat” and to call the New Popular Front coalition to form a government.
Jordan Bardella of the far-right National Rally (RN) on Sunday denounced the “alliance of dishonour” which deprived the French people of “a policy of recovery”. Party boss Marine Le Pen said the RN’s victory is “only deferred”.
Macron dissolved parliament and called for snap legislative elections after the far-right trounced his centrist alliance in the June 9th elections for the European Parliament.
