France elections latest: Macron asks PM Attal to stay on as country faces ‘3 major risks’ over deadlock
France faces months of instability after none of the three major parties were able to achieve a majority at the second round of elections
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Your support makes all the difference.French president Emmanuel Macron has refused the resignation of the country’s prime minister Gabriel Attal, asking him to stay on as the country faces weeks of political instability after a shock snap election result.
A left-wing alliance called New Popular Front won the most seats, with Mr Macron’s centrist grouping coming second. That pushed Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) into third, but with no party holding a majority. Le Pen’s party won the first round of the election late last month, but tactical voting – with more than 200 candidates, mostly from the left-wing alliance and the centrists, dropping out so as not to split the anti-RN vote.
Mr Attal had offered his resignation in the wake of the result, but Mr Macron has said he needs to stay on for now “to ensure the stability of the country” as the deal-making begins.
It comes as France's economic minister, Bruno Le Maire, faced three major risks over the political deadlock. He said the immediate risk was a "financial crisis and economic decline". The other two are an "ideological fracture of the nation” and a parliament full of “scattered” ideas from sides all with different agendas.
Tear gas and riot police deployed against crowds gathering at Paris landmark after French election results
Tear gas and riot police deployed against crowds gathering at Paris landmark
French police dispersed election night crowds in Paris and Nantes with tear gas on Sunday evening, even though gatherings were largely peaceful across the country. In the capital’s Place de la Republique, people had been chanting and marching with flairs but dispersed rapidly when riot police launched tear gas canisters at the edges of the gathering. The same approached was used in the western city of Nantes, a flashpoint for left-wing activism, where police fired tear gas at demonstrators. A left-wing alliance has become the biggest force in France’s parliament after tactical voting brought a shock win over the far-right National Rally.
National Rally supporters react to shock French election results: ‘Disappointed’
National Rally supporters react to shock French election results: ‘Disappointed’
A coalition of the French left that quickly banded together to beat a surging far right in legislative elections won the most seats in parliament but not a majority, according to polling projections on Sunday 8 July, a stunning outcome that threatens to plunge the France into political and economic turmoil. Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right National Rally party who had been hoping to become prime minister, saw his hopes dashed by the result. Shocked party supporters expressed a mix of emotions as the result filtered through. With no bloc securing a clear majority, France faces uncertainty that could rattle markets and its economy and cast a shadow of political instability over the Paris Olympics opening in less than three weeks.
How world leaders reacted to the French elections
Several early reactions from overseas rejoiced that the immediate threat of a far-right government had been averted.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told the radio station RNE he was happy to see a defeat for the far right, which he described as "completely contrary to European values".
Nikos Androulakis, the head of Greece’s Socialist PASOK party, said the French people had "raised a wall against the far right, racism and intolerance and guarded the timeless principles of the French Republic: Liberty, Equality and Fraternity."
Supportive messages came from leaders in Mexico and Venezuela, while Colombia’s leftist firebrand President, Gustavo Petro, also congratulated the French for keeping out Le Pen.
"There are battles that last just a few days but (which) define humanity’s fate. France has gone through one of these," he said.
An EU official called it a "huge relief" but added: "what it means for Europe on a day to day basis remains to be seen though."
France's far-right National Rally to join new EU alliance
Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) will join a new alliance in the European Parliament led by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Hungary’s government spokesperson said on Monday.
Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPO), Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz and the populist Czech ANO party led by Andrej Babis formed a new alliance in the European Parliament, citing the fight against illegal immigration, as well as transferring more powers from Brussels back to member states as the alliance’s goals.
Macron asks PM Attal to stay
French president Emmanuel Macron has refused the resignation of the country’s prime minister, asking him on Monday to remain temporarily as the head of the government after chaotic election results left the government in limbo.
French voters split the legislature on the left, centre and far right, leaving no faction even close to the majority needed to form a government. The results from Sunday’s vote raised the risk of paralysis for the European Union’s second-largest economy.
Mr Macron gambled that his decision to call snap elections would give France a “moment of clarification”, but the outcome showed the opposite, less than three weeks before the start of the Paris Olympics, when the country will be under an international spotlight.
France’s main share index opened with a dip, but quickly recovered, possibly because markets had feared an outright victory for the far right or the leftist coalition.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal had said he would remain in office if needed but offered his resignation Monday morning. Macron, who named him just seven months ago, immediately asked him to stay on "to ensure the stability of the country.” Mr Macron’s top political allies joined the meeting with Attal at the presidential palace.
France at risk of ‘immediate financial crisis’, says economy minister
France is at risk of “immediate financial crisis” after the election result, the country’s outgoing economy minister has warned.
Bruno Le Maire celebrated the loss of the hard-right, but said there are risks ahead after president Emmanuel Macron’s party came second to the hard-left in a snap election.“The most immediate risk is a financial crisis and France’s economic decline,” he said.
Kremlin sees no strong political will in France for restoring ties
The Kremlin said on Monday it saw no strong political will in France aimed at restoring Moscow’s relations with Paris but would follow the formation of France‘s new government with interest after elections there.
Marine Le Pen’s nationalist, eurosceptic National Rally (RN), which opponents have accused of being too soft on Russia, failed to win a snap election on Sunday as the polls had predicted, with a leftist alliance unexpectedly taking the top spot in a hung parliament.
“The victory of political forces that would be supporters of efforts to restore our bilateral relations is definitely better for Russia, but so far we do not see such bright political will in anyone, so we do not harbour any special hopes or illusions in this regard,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“Secondly, it is obvious that a drift is taking place in the moods of French voters, a drift that is really unpredictable. But we will watch the formation of government, the formation of blocs...with great interest.
“France is a very important country on the European continent, so of course, everything that happens there is interesting for us.”
Moscow has long courted leaders on Europe’s political far right and is keen to exploit any signs of division in Europe that could weaken support for Ukraine.
Le Pen has in the past expressed her admiration of President Vladimir Putin.
Berlin expresses 'relief' in response to French election result
A spokesperson for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed “relief” in response to the left’s win against the far right in the French run-off election on Sunday.
“At first I think a certain relief prevails,” the spokesperson said on Monday, adding that it remained to be seen what government would be formed in Paris following the election.
The spokesperson said he was not aware of any direct contact between the chancellor and the winning left-wing parties, adding that President Emmanuel Macron remained Berlin’s point of contact.
‘Three major risks'
France's economic minister has warned of "three major risks" facing the country amid the new political situation.
In a lengthy statement on X, Bruno Le Maire said the country remained "hostile to any discrimination and any distinction between citizens" and more than ever it was important to stay "united".
He said the most immediate risk was a "financial crisis and France's economic decline".
He also warned of an "ideological fracture of the nation" and that all concerns needed to be listened to.
He said the last risk was a "regime crisis".
"The forces of the National Assembly [French parliament] are scattered. Their ideas are even more so. We have a pressing need for consistency and lucidity," he added.
"More than ever, therefore, let us return to reality."
Mr Le Maire went on to say: "The place of France in the 21st century is now at stake. It is at this price. The price of reality."
The far right have been blocked from power in France – but the threat remains
The far right have been blocked from power in France – but the threat remains
There is real anger among Le Pen supporters who are drawn mainly from rural France and the urban poor, writes Mary Dejevsky – the risk now is that their frustration could find expression on the streets
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