France’s Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, announced he would submit his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron on Monday.
This decision follows his party’s failure to secure a majority in the parliamentary elections.
Despite this, Attal mentioned that if his resignation is not accepted, he is prepared to continue serving “as long as duty demands,” especially with the Paris Olympics set to start in three weeks.
Meanwhile, a coalition of left-wing parties in France is poised to become the largest parliamentary bloc, surpassing both the far-right and President Macron’s coalition, based on surprising projected results.
No single group achieved an absolute majority in the election, leaving France in a state of political uncertainty with no clear path to forming a new government.
This situation arises just two days before a significant NATO summit and three weeks before the Paris Olympics.
Attal reiterated his intention to offer his resignation to Macron but emphasized his readiness to remain in office if required, particularly in light of the upcoming Olympics.
The New Popular Front (NFP), created last month following Macron’s call for snap elections, united the previously fragmented Socialists, Greens, Communists, and the hard-left France Unbowed into a single alliance.
Despite veteran presidential candidate Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) leading after the June 30 first round of voting, projections from four major polling agencies on Sunday indicated that no group is on track for an absolute majority.
The left-wing NFP is ahead of both Macron’s centrist Ensemble and Le Pen’s eurosceptic, anti-immigration RN.
Macron has yet to comment publicly on these projections. An aide, requesting anonymity, mentioned that Macron is urging “prudence and analysis of the results.” On the other hand, Le Pen stated, “The tide is rising. It did not rise high enough this time, but it continues to rise and, consequently, our victory has only been delayed.”
The political landscape in France is currently in flux, with no clear majority emerging from the parliamentary elections.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal’s potential resignation and the strong performance of the left-wing alliance and the far-right highlight the complexities and challenges ahead for forming a stable government. As France approaches significant events like the NATO summit and the Paris Olympics, the nation’s political future remains uncertain.
