Talks over government jobs and budget cuts loom, with voter anger sure to follow
French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday he will maintain the country's centrist caretaker government through the end of the Olympic Games in mid-August to avoid disorder. His announcement in a TV interview came shortly after the leftist coalition that won the most votes in this month's parliamentary elections selected little-known civil servant Lucie Castets as their choice for prime minister. Macron said the current caretaker government will handle current affairs during the Olympics," which run through Aug. 11. Until mid-August, we're not in a position to be able to change things because it would prompt disorder, he said. There is no firm timeline for when Macron must name a new prime minister. The parliamentary elections left the National Assembly with no dominant political bloc in power for the first time in France's modern Republic. Macron, who has a presidential mandate until 2027, has the ultimate say in who is to be appointed as prime minister. However, the prime ...
France's influential lower house of parliament, the National Assembly, will elect its speaker on Thursday evening after a chaotic early election called by President Emmanuel Macron produced a hung legislature. Two figures emerged as favorites after two nonconclusive rounds of vote: outgoing Speaker Yal Braun-Pivet of Macron's centrist party, and the candidate of the leftist coalition, communist lawmaker Andr Chassaigne. The parliamentary election earlier this month resulted in a split between three major political blocs: the New Popular Front leftist coalition, Macron's centrist allies and the far-right National Rally party. None of them won an outright majority. Thursday's opening session of the National Assembly comes two days after Macron accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and other ministers, but asked them to handle affairs in a caretaker capacity until a new government is appointed, as France prepares to host the Paris Olympics at the end of the ...
The development comes ahead of the Olympics that is due to start in France from next week
French President Emmanuel Macron accepted the prime minister's resignation on Tuesday but kept him on as head of a caretaker government. Macron's office said in a statement that Macron accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and other ministers on Tuesday. Attal and other government members are to handle current affairs until a new government is being appointed, the statement said. There is no firm timeline for when Macron must name a new prime minister. France is about to host the Paris Olympic Games at the end of the month. Attal offered his resignation last week after a chaotic election result left the government in limbo. Macron asked him to remain temporarily as the head of the government pending a further decision, with France about to be under an international spotlight as it hosts the Paris Olympics. French media said the prime minister's resignation is expected to be formally accepted by Macron by Tuesday evening. The move would allow Attal to take up h
President Emmanuel Macron refused the resignation of France's prime minister, asking him on Monday to remain temporarily as the head of the government after a chaotic election result left the government in limbo. 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. Macron gambled that his decision to call an early election 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. The French stock market fell upon opening before quickly recovering, 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 .
Far-right parties from 12 countries, including France's National Rally and Hungary's ruling Fidesz, announced on Monday that they have joined together to form a new bloc in the European Parliament and plan to become a major political force. The European Parliament moved perceptibly to the right following Europe-wide elections a month ago as many voters abandoned the business-friendly liberals and environmentalist Greens. Mainstream centre-right and centre-left groups still hold the majority though. The new bloc, dubbed Patriots for Europe, is made up of 84 EU lawmakers and will be led by Jordan Bardella, the 28-year-old protg of Marine Le Pen. Kinga Gl, from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbn's Fidesz party, will be first vice president. Right-wing parties from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain are also involved. Forming a group brings parties more influence, money and the possibility of coveted posts on ...
Hung Parliament points to turmoil ahead
French President Emmanual Macron refused the resignation Monday 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, center 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. President Emmanuel 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 thrusts the country on the international stage. 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 bu
Results for the final round of France's snap parliamentary election suggest voters have delivered an emphatic 'non' to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally
The left coalition in France won the most seats in Sunday's legislative elections, countering a far-right surge but failing to secure a majority
The result delivered a stinging blow to President Emmanuel Macron and leaves the euro zone's second largest economy in limbo, heralding a period of political instability
French election night turned turbulent as results showed a left-wing coalition poised to claim the majority of parliamentary seats
The awkward leftist alliance, which the hard left, Greens and Socialists hastily put together before the vote, was far from having an absolute majority of 289 seats in the 577-seat assembly
The election results marked a significant shift in French politics, with the National Rally, led by Jordan Bardella, claiming substantial gains
In the outgoing parliament, French President Macron's alliance had only 250 seats and he required support from other parties to pass laws
French President Emmanuel Macron's expected political failure in decisive parliamentary elections Sunday may paralyse the country, weaken him abroad and overshadow his legacy, just as France prepares to step into the global spotlight as host of the Paris Olympics. France's youngest-ever president is known on the international stage for his tireless diplomatic efforts and pro-European initiatives. Now, many wonder how he will manage to keep the reins of the country with likely no majority in parliament and a confrontational government. Constitutionally barred from running for a third consecutive term in 2027, Macron, 46, is facing a struggle not to become a lame duck. Whatever the outcome of Sunday's runoff, it's not expected to be good news for Macron. French media have recently described an end of reign atmosphere at the Elysee presidential palace. Polls show Macron's centrist alliance is headed for defeat in Sunday's runoff, after coming in third in the first round. It looks a
The big fear for the EU's traditional political mainstream is an outright RN victory, forcing Macron to 'co-habit' with a government hostile to his vision of European sovereignty
Asked about calls for the creation of a temporary cross-party government if no grouping achieved a majority, Attal said he would not impose on voters "a coalition they did not choose"
RN and allies had 33 per cent of the vote, followed by a leftwing bloc with 28 per cent and President Emmanuel Macron's centrists with just 20 per cent