French President Emmanuel Macron will ‘wait’ to make decisions about a new government, according to a statement from Elysee Palace, following the announcement of preliminary results from the second round of parliamentary elections.
“In his role as guarantor of our institutions, the president will ensure that the sovereign choice of the French people is respected,” the Elysee said. “In keeping with republican tradition, he will await the structuring of the new National Assembly before taking the necessary decisions,” it added, noting Macron’s careful consideration of unfolding results.
Macron’s current focus is on analyzing the election outcomes and is waiting for the full picture in parliament to emerge before making any decisions, the French presidency said on Sunday.
The unexpected success of the New Popular Front in the parliamentary runoff positions them as the leading force, although falling short of an outright majority. This outcome reflects ongoing political volatility in France, with no single coalition commanding sufficient seats to govern independently, CNN reported.
Meanwhile, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has announced his resignation.
The election results marked a significant shift in French politics, with the National Rally, led by Jordan Bardella, claiming substantial gains despite initial high expectations. He criticized Macron for purportedly “pushing France into uncertainty and instability” and expressed disappointment at falling short of projected outcomes despite an increase in parliamentary seats. The NFP’s unexpected triumph was met with jubilation among its supporters. Socialist leader Olivier Faure emphasized the coalition’s mandate, pledging to repeal Macron’s contentious pension reforms and unify under the NFP’s agenda. “We will have just one compass: the programme of the New Popular Front,” Faure asserted confidently, according to CNN.
Leader of the National Rally (RN), Jordan Bardella expressed dissatisfaction with what he termed an “alliance of dishonour” between President Macron and the far-left party, which he believes contributed to his party’s greater-than-expected seat losses to France’s left-wing socialist party, the New Popular Front, and Macron’s Ensemble party. Bardella acknowledged the support of French voters in achieving an unprecedented number of votes for RN. He criticized Macron’s decision to call for the elections, accusing him and Prime Minister Gabriel Attal of playing “dangerous electoral games” with the far left.
Bardella argued that these manoeuvers compromised RN’s position, particularly following their strong performance in the European elections, where they garnered 34 per cent of the vote.
“We were very much ahead in the first round and at a rate of 45% in certain constituencies of France,” Bardella asserted, visibly disappointed. He accused Macron of plunging the country into “uncertainty and instability” and criticised the president for neglecting security concerns.
Meanwhile, Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of La France Insoumise (LFI) and a prominent figure in the New Popular Front, celebrated what he described as a “magnificent surge of civic mobilisation” among the French people, as reported by CNN.
Melenchon addressed cheering supporters, emphasising their rejection of worst-case scenarios and portraying the projected success of the NFP as a victory for the majority.
“This is a huge relief for the overwhelming majority of people in our country,” he told cheering crowds Sunday night. “These people felt terribly threatened. Rest assured, they have won.”
Gabriel Attal also answered the question of what might happen next, with none of the parties projected to secure a majority. “The president has the duty to call the New Popular Front to govern,” he said.
In Paris, the announcement that the left-wing NFP was projected to surpass RN sparked jubilation among supporters. The result marked a turnaround from RN’s initial lead after the first round of elections. In a show of emotion, Parisians took to the streets, holding signs and cheering as the outcome was confirmed at 8 pm local time. Amidst the celebrations, expressions of relief were evident as flares were lit and chants of “everyone hates fascists” echoed through the streets.
Initial projections were released at 8 PM Paris time (1800 GMT), with official results anticipated to be announced between late Sunday and Monday, CNN reported.
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