Despite election defeat - French Prime Minister Attal to remain prime minister "for the time being" at Macron's request
France's Prime Minister Gabriel Attal will remain in office despite the weak performance of his government's camp in the parliamentary elections. President Emmanuel Macron has reportedly rejected Attal's resignation request "temporarily." Macron's office announced on Monday that the President had asked Attal to continue serving as Prime Minister to ensure the stability of the country.
It is expected that Macron will delay the complex government formation process until after the Olympics. Due to the significantly differing views of the various factions, a difficult government formation period is anticipated. There is a risk of political instability.
Left Surprises in French Elections
The left-green electoral alliance New Popular Front emerged as a surprise winner in the second round of the parliamentary elections with approximately 180 seats. The government camp lost its previous majority, dropping from 250 to around 160 seats. The right-populist Rassemblement National (RN) party, which had been projected to win a majority based on polls, came in third place with approximately 140 seats. None of the three camps have achieved a government-majority. A majority of 289 seats in the National Assembly is required for an absolute majority.
Although all electoral districts have been counted, the numbers are not definitive as many candidates belonged to small parties, and their alignment to the factions is not always clear. The formations of the factions must be completed by July 18, with each requiring a minimum of 15 MPs. These MPs may not necessarily correspond to the alliances before the election. The New Popular Front may have to split into several factions, as its predecessor Nupes did.
- Despite Emmanuel Macron's government suffering an election defeat in the Parliamentary elections, France's Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, will continue in his role, as per Macron's temporary rejection of Attal's resignation request.
- The left-green electoral alliance, New Popular Front, surprised everyone by becoming the winner in the second round of the parliamentary elections, gaining around 180 seats, which was a significant shift from the government camp's previous majority of 250 seats.
- As France prepares for the Olympic Games, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal's continued leadership and the ensuing government formation process are expected to be challenging, given the differing views among the factions and the risk of political instability.
