An alliance of French left-wing parties was on course Sunday to beat the far right and President Emmanuel Macron’s coalition in a stunning outcome to parliamentary elections that plunged France into new political uncertainty.
No one group won an absolute majority in the second round of the poll, which left France without any clear path to forming a new government three weeks before the Paris Olympics.
But after winning the June 30 first round by a clear margin, the results were a major disappointment for the far-right National Rally (RN) of Marine Le Pen, even if her forces are set to boast about their biggest-ever contingent in parliament.
Macron’s centrist alliance will have dozens fewer members of parliament but held up better than expected.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said he would offer Macron his resignation on Monday but was ready to serve “as long as duty demands”, notably in light of the imminent Games.
The New Popular Front (NFP) — formed last month after Macron called snap elections — brought together the previously deeply divided Socialists, Greens, Communists and the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) together in one camp.
But projections by major polling agencies showed the NFP set to be the largest bloc in the new National Assembly with 177 to 198 seats, Macron’s alliance on 152 to 169 seats and the RN on 135 to 145 seats.
This means no group is even close to the 289 seats needed for an absolute majority and it remains unclear how a new government can be formed.
Macron, who has yet to speak in public about the projections, is calling for “prudence and analysis of the results”, said an aide, asking not to be named.