A leftist coalition in France has won the most seats in legislative elections, thwarting a far-right surge but falling short of a majority. The outcome leaves France facing an unprecedented hung parliament.
Official results released early on Monday show the New Popular Front leftist coalition secured just over 180 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly. President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance won more than 160 seats, while Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally and allies took over 140 seats.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal plans to offer his resignation. “Our country is facing an unprecedented political situation and is preparing to welcome the world in a few weeks,” he said, referring to the upcoming Paris Olympics.
The election has redrawn France’s political map, galvanising leftist parties to unite in a new alliance. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a prominent leftist leader, said the coalition “is ready to govern”.
Despite gaining its highest-ever seat count, the far-right National Rally fell short of its goal for an outright majority. Party leader Marine Le Pen remained optimistic, stating: “The reality is that our victory is only deferred.”
The outcome leaves France in uncharted territory. Unlike other European countries, France lacks a tradition of coalition governments. The president’s office indicated Macron would wait for the new National Assembly to take shape before making “the necessary decisions”.
The election campaign was marred by political violence with over 50 candidates reporting physical attacks, an unusual occurrence in France.
