In a last-minute development and following the surprises that characterize the French elections, Emmanuel Macron asked his Prime Minister, who comes from Le Pen's National Party, to stay "for the time being for the stability of the country", as announced by the Elysée Palace.
HDN Newsroom
Gabriel Atal announced last night that he would hand in his resignation to the French president, as French political tradition wants, and said he was ready to continue in office for as long as necessary.
Nevertheless, Emmanuel Macron asked his prime minister to stay "for the time being for the stability of the country".
Outgoing Prime Minister Gabriel Atal, who had announced he would resign on Monday, had also said he was ready to stay in office for "as long as duty requires" as the Olympics approach.
"No absolute majority can be formed by the extremists," he said with apparent satisfaction.
According to the final results and with all 577 constituencies counted, the left-wing New Popular Front alliance won 182 seats in the French National Assembly, but not enough to secure an absolute majority, which requires 289 seats.
Emmanuel Macron's centrist Together coalition came second with 168 seats and Marine Le Pen's National Party secured 143 seats.
The conservative party Les Républicains (LR) won 45 seats.
The outgoing majority will "set conditions in every discussion" in view of the formation of a new one, warned the head of the presidential faction, the Renaissance, Stéphane Céjournay, insisting on the secular character of the state, the European construction and support for Ukraine. "Jean-Luc Mélenchon and some of his allies will not (be able to) govern France."
As for Marine Le Pen's RN, he rose more than ever in the French National Assembly, despite finishing third, far from the relative majority he expected and as seen in the first round of the election.
"Our victory has simply been postponed," said far-right leader Marine Le Pen, whose candidate for Matignon, Jordane Bardella, lashed out at the "alliance of dishonesty," the democratic front formed against his party.
The RN is the only political force today that is practically guaranteed to be in opposition – but with power much more calculable than in the outgoing French parliament.
After all, Marine Le Pen continues to have her eyes set on the 2027 presidential election.
