French President Emmanuel Macron has rejected the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and asked him to remain temporarily as the head of the government for the stability of the country. This decision comes after chaotic election results left the French government in a state of uncertainty. The election outcome split the legislature among the left, center, and far right, with no faction coming close to the majority needed to form a government. Macron's call for snap elections did not provide the expected clarity and has raised the risk of political paralysis in the second-largest economy of the European Union [33536bf7].
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal had offered his resignation, but Macron requested him to stay on to ensure the stability of the country. The election results showed that no political bloc had the 289 seats required to control the 577-seat National Assembly. Macron still has three years remaining in his presidential term. The New Popular Front, a leftist coalition that secured the most seats in the election, immediately called on Macron to give them the first chance to form a government and propose a prime minister. This coalition aims to roll back many of Macron's reforms and take a tougher stance against Israel. The formation of a hung parliament is uncharted territory for modern France. However, the political agreement between the left and center to block the far-right National Rally was largely successful, despite the presence of racism, antisemitism, and Russian disinformation campaigns during the electoral campaign [33536bf7].
In the latest development, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has decided to resign after the left-leaning New Popular Front alliance won the most seats in the election but fell short of a majority. Attal had offered his resignation, but Macron asked him to stay on "as long as duty requires." The far-right National Rally, which had been expected to perform better, placed third behind Macron's centrist party. The outcome of the election has left France facing the prospect of a hung parliament, which could lead to political paralysis in a pillar of the European Union and the host country of the Olympics. The increased presence of the far right in parliament has raised concerns about its potential impact on the war in Ukraine, global diplomacy, and Europe's economic stability. The German government expressed relief that the nationalist far right did not become the strongest party in France, as the German-French relationship is seen as crucial for European integration and peace [51be7a97].