France's Prime Minister Attal remains in office "for the time being"
From the second round of the parliamentary elections, the left-green alliance New People's Front has surprisingly emerged as the winner with approximately 180 seats. The government coalition lost its previous majority and slipped from 250 to around 160 seats. The right-populist party Rassemblement National (RN), which had counted on a majority according to surveys, came in third place with approximately 140 seats.
None of the three camps have achieved a government-majority. For an absolute majority, 289 of the 577 seats in the National Assembly are required.
Although all constituencies have been counted, the numbers are not definitive, as many candidates belonged to small parties and their alignment to the camps was not always clear. Until July 18, the factions must form, each requiring at least 15 deputies to join. These need not necessarily correspond to the alliances before the election. The New People's Front could - like its predecessor Nupes - split into several factions.
- Despite the surprise victory of the New People's Front in the parliamentary elections, the Office of the Prime Minister in France remains a contested position, given the lack of a clear majority for any camp.
- Gabriel Attal, a prominent member of the New People's Front, expressed optimism about their chances of forming a government, but acknowledged that "for the time being," there is no clear path to a majority.
- Emmanuel Macron, the incumbent Prime Minister, suffered an election defeat, which weakened his position and made the formation of a stable government more challenging.
- Attal, who is closely associated with the socialist wing of the New People's Front, has stated that they are open to dialogue with both the government camp and the Rassemblement National (RN) to explore potential coalition opportunities.
- The RN, led by Marine Le Pen, had its hopes of gaining a majority dashed in the election, leaving them in a vulnerable position within the Government camp.
- The events of the parliamentary election have created a period of uncertainty in French politics, with both the New People's Front and RN maneuvering to secure support and form alliances to improve their chances of gaining a majority in the National Assembly before July 18.
