France Witnesses Political Standoff After Surprise Election Results

France is currently on autopilot, as the recently concluded snap parliamentary elections have resulted in a hung parliament. The shape of the future government in the country looks uncertain, as no single party or coalition has managed to secure 289 seats, the majority needed in the 577-seat French National Assembly. 

It was a surprising result as the country rejected Marine Le Pen’s far-right, and the broad electoral alliance of leftist parties named the New Popular Front (NFP) emerged as the largest political force by winning 182 seats in the final round of the election. The Centrist Ensemble alliance, led by President Emmanuel Macron, managed to win 168 seats, while the far-right National Rally won only 143 seats. The National Rally led the first round of voting on June 30 but finished third in the second round. After surprising election results, Emmanuel Macron has asked prime minister Gabriel Attal to remain in post "for the time being to ensure the country's stability". Macron also rejected the resignation of Gabriel Attal. 

The main reason for the political standoff is that France does not have any recent experience with a coalition government. Left and right parties are arguing for the right to form a government without considering the reality that no party can govern alone. However, negotiations are reportedly under way to forge a governing coalition. 

According to the French Constitution, the president appoints the prime minister. However, the prime minister needs the support of a majority of lawmakers to rule the country. At the same time, the New Popular Front has not yet made a decision on the prime ministerial candidate. The bloc said that it would announce a name soon for the post. But reports suggest that the decision may be delayed. Thus, Prime Minister Attal is expected to remain in the post for an indefinite period. Attal also said that he was prepared to remain in the post "as long as duty requires."

At the same time, French Preisdent said that he will wait for parties to build a “Republican” majority at the National Assembly before making a decision regarding the new prime minister. "Nobody has won,” Macron said in a letter, as quoted by the Associated Press. The formation of a “grand coalition” between different political groups is another solution to overcome the political paralysis. However, political parties have rejected the idea of such a coalition. The current situation in the country suggests that it may take days of discussions to appoint a prime minister and establish a new government.