Macron rejects PM’s resignation, as France seeks a way out of political ‘fog’ of chaotic election
- Macron asked his PM to stay, pending difficult negotiations to form a new government after a left-wing surge delivered a hung parliament
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday asked his prime minister to stay in the role for now, pending what will be difficult negotiations to form a new government after a surprise left-wing surge in elections that delivered a hung parliament.
The leftist New Popular Front (NFP) emerged as the dominant force in the National Assembly after Sunday’s election, thwarting Marine Le Pen’s quest to bring the far-right to power.
However, with no single group securing a working majority, the outcome heralded a period of political volatility just before the Paris Olympics and raised uncertainty among investors about who would run the euro zone’s second-largest economy.
The range of possibilities include the NFP forming a minority government or the cobbling together of an unwieldy coalition of parties with almost no common ground.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, a centrist and close ally of Macron, tendered his resignation, but the head of state rejected it.
“The President has asked Gabriel Attal to remain prime minister for the time being in order to ensure the country’s stability,” Macron’s office said in a statement.
