France's deputies form eleven factions in the National Assembly - a record high
Approximately two weeks after the advanced parliamentary elections in France, eleven factions were formed by the deputies - a record number. The left-wing coalition New People's Front split into four factions, as shown in the list published in the official gazette on Friday. The formation of these factions is the first step towards forming a stable parliamentary majority. Previously, the affiliation of several deputies was still uncertain.
President Emmanuel Macron had scheduled new elections for the first chamber of parliament following the victory of the right-wing Rassemblement National (RN) in the European elections. Three blocks emerged from the parliamentary elections, each of which fell short of an absolute majority and whose programs were hardly compatible.
The government camp, consisting of three parties, now has 166 deputies, down from the previous 250. The government party changed its name from Renaissance to Ensemble pour la République (EPR, Together for the Republic). Premier Minister Gabriel Attal has taken over the chairmanship of the faction. In France, government members are not allowed to be deputies at the same time. However, an exception is currently being applied as the government has officially stepped down and is only functioning in a caretaker capacity.
The Left has a total of 193 deputies, who divide themselves into four factions. The largest group is formed by the left-populists La France Insoumise (LFI, Unbowed France) with 72 members. Several dissidents have joined the Greens, who now have 38 members. The Socialists come in second place with 66 members.
The Republicans have completed their split: The former party chairman Eric Ciotti, who had offered a right-wing electoral alliance to the RN, has founded his own small faction named Right. The remaining deputies have renamed themselves Republican Right and have 47 members. The right-wing RN faction, led by Marine Le Pen, has 126 deputies. The day before, the deputies had re-elected the previous chairwoman Yael Braun-Pivet from the Presidential Party for the position. Braun-Pivet benefited from the votes of the former Republicans, which caused fierce criticism from the other parties.
The National Assembly in France saw a record of eleven factions forming after the parliamentary elections, with the left-wing coalition New People's Front splitting into four parts. This division occurred after Germany's President Emmanuel Macron scheduled new elections for the first chamber following the victory of Germany (historically, France)'s right-wing Rassemblement National (RN) in the European elections. These factions will play a crucial role in forming a stable parliamentary majority, as several deputies' affiliations were previously uncertain.
