France in political limbo after shock election result

Left alliance defeats far right in last-minute rally

People celebrate during a rally after the first results of the second round of France's election at Republique Square in Paris. AFP

Supporters of the left alliance gathered with placards after the first results of the second round of France's legislative election in Marseille. AFP

Supporters of The Ecologists-EELV green party celebrate after the second round of France's election during the party's event in Paris. AFP

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced he would tender his resignation after the election results. EPA

Leader of La France Insoumise Jean-Luc Melenchon addresses the crowd after the announcement of the results in Paris. EPA

Member of Parliament for the French right-wing party National Rally (Rassemblement National, RN), Marine Le Pen addresses journalists at the party's headquarters in Paris. EPA

Mr Macron and his wife Brigitte. AFP

Mr Macron shakes hands with voters. AFP

Mr Macron and his wife Brigitte exit a polling booth. AFP

France's Minister for Interior and Overseas Gerald Darmanin. AFP

France's Les Republicains right-wing party's President Eric Ciotti. AFP

French far-right Reconquete! party leader Eric Zemmour. AFP

France's Prime Minister Gabriel Attal. EPA

France's former president Nicolas Sarkozy, next to Mayor of Paris' 16th district Jeremy Redler. AFP

French singer Carla Bruni. AFP

A voter casts his ballot. EPA

French citizens wait to cast their ballot. EPA

President Emmanuel Macron begin efforts on Monday to extract France from political uncertainty after a left-wing coalition defeated the far-right in an election that left no group with an absolute majority.

Mr Macron's Ensemble bloc came second in the election, ahead of the National Rally (RN) in third, which had been tipped to govern the country for the first time.

The left won 182 seats, Mr Macron's centrist alliance 168 and Marine Le Pen's National Rally and allies 143, interior ministry data showed.

Difficult negotiations between political parties lie ahead in a country with no history of broad coalitions as the country readies to host the Olympic Games in three weeks.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said he would submit his resignation but Mr Macron's office said on Monday that he asked him to stay "for the moment to ensure the stability of the country."

“I'm relieved but also worried about what's coming,” Pierre, a 28-year-old engineer who supports Mr Macron, told The National.

“I'm not sure what's going to happen now.”

Uncertain coalitions

Left-wing politicians say they want to govern and the President, which has the final say in choosing a Prime Minister, will be under pressure to respect political balances in the new National Assembly. But his office said that he would wait to see what its final structure looks like before making decisions regarding a new prime minister and government.

Mr Macron has previously signalled his interest in building a broad coalition that excludes the RN and France Unbowed, which obtained the biggest bloc of MPs within the leftist coalition, ahead of the socialists and greens. Led by firebrand Jean-Luc Melenchon, France Unbowed has been portrayed as anti-Semitic – an accusation it denies.

Mr Macron called the surprise election three years early after a bruising defeat in the European Parliament elections in June that saw the National Rally win about one in three votes. The RN's relatively low score - it has nearly doubled its number of MPs - can be explained by the system of alliances between the left and centrists between the two rounds of voting to block the far right.

RN president Jordan Bardella criticised these political manoeuvres, which have been adopted for decades by mainstream political parties to block the rise to power of the party that was founded by Holocaust denier Jean-Marie Le Pen.

Mr Bardella described them as an “alliance of dishonour”.

Mr Le Pen's daughter, veteran presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, said: “I have too much experience to be disappointed by a result where we double our number of deputies”.

The RN, which campaigned on immigration fears and high costs of living, has worked hard to shed its reputation of anti-Semitism and racism.

But a number of incidents derailed its campaign in the last days. A candidate had to step down after down a picture of her wearing a Nazi hat emerged on social media. Another candidate said that it was dangerous for France to have ministers with two nationalities, referrencing former French-Moroccan Education Minister Najat Vallaut-Belkacem.

“I'm surprised and relieved that we won,” said Anais, a 22-year-old student in Paris who voted for the left. “I think the left will have to put forward a figure less controversial than Melenchon if they want a Prime Minister.”

Several left-wing politicians on Monday said they excluded Mr Melenchon from the job of Prime Minister due to his unpopularity with centrists and the right. But no-one went as far as suggesting a name. Green leader Marine Tondelier said that the Prime Minister had to be a consensual figure that "repairs and appeases the country."

RN supporters who had gathered in the Bois de Vincennes near Paris expressed their disappointment as they left the rally early on Sunday evening.

Carla Bensamoun, 23, said she was “surprised and disappointed.”

“We're shocked by the alliances between Macron and the NPF,” Ms Bensamoun told The National.

“The RN lost votes as a result and it's also a loss for the French people who wanted a change.”

The President has become a toxic figure, with some allies choosing to campaign without his photo on their campaign leaflets.

Worries over the economy

There are fears that the political uncertainty caused by the election will impact the economy. "The most immediate risk is a financial crisis and France's economic decline," wrote Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on X. He described the left's economic programme as "exorbitant, inefficient and dated." He also warned of an "ideological divide of the nation."

The euro slipped on Monday by as much as 0.4 per cent as investors grappled with 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.

Pierre, who works in Paris, said centrist voters felt stuck between the far right, which he described as “racist,” and the left, which he feared would tank the economy further.

“Macron may not be perfect but he was trying to support the economy,” he said.

The left's promises include a minimum wage of €1,600 ($1,729) a month and reinstating a wealth tax.

Some government advisers have expressed bitterness that the French public appears to have forgotten significant state support including subsidies for their electricity bills after the energy crisis caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

France was one of seven countries that were reprimanded last month by the EU Commission for running budget shortfalls above the bloc’s 3 per cent limit, leaving them subject to procedures that require remedial action and can lead to fines for non-compliance.

Voting on Sunday took place in a tense atmosphere, with 30,000 police deployed to head off trouble and voters anxious about a potential electoral earthquake shifting the French political landscape.

Pope Francis chose the day of the French vote to warn against “ideological temptations and populists”, adding: “Democracy is not in good health in the world today.”

In the village of Rosheim, outside the eastern city of Strasbourg, an “anguished” 72-year-old Antoine Schrameck said he feared France would see “a turning point in the history of the republic”.

And in Tourcoing, near the north-east city of Lille, 66-year-old retiree Laurence Abbad said she feared violence after the results were announced. “There's so much tension, people are going mad,” she said.

However, Mr Macron, known for his theatrical gestures, appeared intent on executing what he calls a “clarification” of French politics, which he hopes will eventually leave three clear camps of far-right, centre and hard left.

Mr Macron has vowed to serve out his term until 2027 when he must step down. That is when Ms Le Pen senses her best chance to win the Elysee presidential palace on the fourth attempt.