A new political scenario
Emmanuel Macron has asked Gabriel Attal to continue as France’s prime minister on a temporary basis, aiming to preserve stability after a snap general election that left the country with a hung parliament and tense negotiations to form a new government.
Attal, who submitted his resignation on Sunday, pledged to remain in office as long as necessary. However, following the surprise victory of the New Popular Front (NFP), left-wing parties are seeking to capitalize on this moment, meeting to discuss policies and possible candidates for prime minister.
Challenges to forming a new government
With the absence of an absolute majority, efforts to form a new government could drag on for weeks. After the election, the NFP won 182 seats, followed by Macron’s centrist Together coalition with 168 deputies, and the far-right National Regroupment (RN) party with 143 seats.
In the absence of a clear majority, options include forming a technocratic government, a minority NFP government with project-by-project support, or a broad center-left and center-right coalition.
Unprecedented situation
The current situation in France is unusual, with a parliament divided into opposing blocs and no precedent for working together or forming coalitions. Under the French constitution, new elections cannot be called for another year, adding complexity to the political situation.
The high turnout of 66% in the elections has failed to clear the political landscape, generating uncertainty at a crucial moment, just before the start of the Olympic Games.
Challenges and possible solutions
The scenario poses significant challenges, since in France there is no tradition of forming coalitions or pacts between parties. Although some political figures have mentioned the possibility of an anti-RN coalition, the lack of experience in this type of agreement represents an obstacle.
Another proposal raised is forming alliances to pass individual laws, a strategy Macron has previously tried with limited results, sometimes resorting to special constitutional powers to push through laws without a parliamentary vote.