Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

France faces hung parliament after left-wing surge

The New Popular Front (NFP) became the leading force in the National Assembly after Sunday’s election, but no group secured a majority.

France faces hung parliament after left-wing surge

France is dealing with a hung parliament and complex negotiations to form a government after a left-wing surge blocked Marine Le Pen's bid for power.

The New Popular Front (NFP) became the leading force in the National Assembly after Sunday's election, but no group secured a majority. The possibilities now include the NFP forming a minority government or building a broad coalition.


This result is a setback for President Emmanuel Macron and leaves France in a period of political instability just before Paris hosts the Olympic Games.

Macron's centrist alliance holds 168 seats, while the NFP has 182 seats, and Le Pen's National Rally (RN) and allies have 143 seats, according to the interior ministry data cited by Le Monde newspaper.

"According to the logic of our institutions, Emmanuel Macron should today officially invite the New Popular Front to nominate a prime minister," said Green leader Marine Tondelier. "Will he or won't he? As this president is always full of surprises, we'll see," she added on RTL radio.

Prime minister Gabriel Attal said he would tender his resignation on Monday, but it was unclear if the president would accept it immediately. Attal mentioned he would be willing to stay on in a caretaker role.

Dissonant voices on the left

Leaders from the NFP met overnight for talks, but in media interviews on Monday, they provided little direction. Tondelier suggested on France Inter radio that the prime minister could be from the hard-left France Unbowed party, the Greens, or the Socialists.

Olivier Faure, the Socialist leader, said on France Info radio that he expected the parties to agree on a plan this week but did not say if the NFP would negotiate a deal with Macron's camp. Raphael Glucksmann, a moderate who led the leftist ticket in the recent European elections, called for openness for dialogue.

However, France Unbowed's leader Jean-Luc Melenchon ruled out any deal with centrists, and his ally Eric Bompard was also uncompromising. "The president must appoint as prime minister someone from the New Popular Front to implement the NFP's programme," he said on France 2 television.

Bompard refused to engage with the question of how the NFP's proposals would pass without an absolute majority. The left's key proposals include raising the minimum wage, reversing Macron's pension reform, and capping prices of key goods.

Centrists open to negotiation

Some centrist figures, including former prime minister Edouard Philippe, said they were ready to work on a pact for a stable government but were not willing to work with France Unbowed. Yael Braun-Pivet, a lawmaker from Macron's party, emphasised the need for cooperation across party lines.

"The message I'm hearing from voters is 'no one has an absolute majority, so you have to work together to find solutions to our problems,'" she said on France 2 television.

The euro slipped on Monday by as much as 0.4% amid the uncertainty in Paris. "There's really going to be a vacuum when it comes to France's legislative ability," said Simon Harvey, head of FX analysis at Monex Europe in London.

Le Pen's RN saw major gains but did not meet expectations. The left and centrist alliances cooperated by pulling candidates from three-way races to create a unified anti-RN vote.

RN leader Jordan Bardella called the cooperation between anti-RN forces a "disgraceful alliance" that would paralyse France. Le Pen, likely the RN's candidate for the 2027 presidential election, said Sunday's results had sown the seeds for the future. "Our victory has been merely delayed," she said.

(With inputs from Reuters)

More For You

Police Recover £1M Stolen Jewellery in Hounslow, Owners Sought

The jewellery was largely taken from London’s South Asian community in Hounslow between 2023 and 2024. (Photo: Met Police)

Stolen jewellery worth £1m recovered in Hounslow, police seek owners

POLICE are seeking to reunite stolen jewellery worth over £1 million with its rightful owners after recovering the items during a proactive operation across London and the home counties.

The recovered collection includes identifiable pieces such as a World War One officer’s Rolex watch, a gold locket containing old pictures, an engraved gold ring, and an engraved gold pocket watch from Harlow Bros Ltd.

Keep ReadingShow less
british-muslims

The initiative aims to track incidents, raise awareness of hate crime, and provide better victim support.

iStock)

Government announces fund to combat anti-Muslim hate

THE UK government has announced a new fund to monitor anti-Muslim hate and support victims, with applications opening on 7 April.

The initiative aims to track incidents, raise awareness of hate crime, and provide better victim support.

Keep ReadingShow less
Probe launched over racist broadcast at Kent asylum centre

FILE PHOTO: Entrance of Manston short-term holding centre for migrants, near Ramsgate in southeast England. (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)

Probe launched over racist broadcast at Kent asylum centre

AUTHORITIES have launched an investigation following reports that a racist message was broadcast over portable radios at an asylum processing centre in Kent.

The incident occurred at the Manston site, where small boat arrivals are processed by the Home Office and its contractor, Mitie, reported The Guardian.

Keep ReadingShow less
Protest against dog crackdown ahead of Modi's Sri Lanka visit

Sri Lankan animal rights activists take part in a demonstration in Colombo on April 3, 2025, to protest the round-up of stray dogs a day ahead of a visit by Narendra Modi. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)

Protest against dog crackdown ahead of Modi's Sri Lanka visit

SRI LANKAN animal rights activists marched on Thursday (3) to protest the round-up of stray dogs a day ahead of a visit by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.

Authorities in Colombo and the Buddhist pilgrim city of Anuradhapura have reportedly deployed dog catchers to impound hounds ahead of Modi's visit, which begins on Friday (4).

Keep ReadingShow less
modi-trump-getty

Donald Trump and Narendra Modi hold a joint press conference in the East Room at the White House on February 13, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Explained: Impact of US tariffs on Indian exports

The United States has announced a 27 per cent reciprocal tariff on Indian goods entering the American market.

Industry experts have said these duties will pose challenges for Indian exports, though India's position remains more favourable than some of its competitors.

Keep ReadingShow less