French President Emmanuel Macron faced a political setback in the second round of legislative elections, losing his absolute majority in the National Assembly, which complicates his ability to govern after elections where both the far right and the left made significant inroads. If the results are confirmed, Macron, who was re-elected last April for a second term, will need to seek alliances to implement his reform agenda over the next five years.
In this context, French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne stated that the results of the parliamentary elections, failing to grant a majority to any party, pose a danger to the country, but she pledged that Macron's party would immediately seek to build alliances. For his part, Minister Gabriel Attal acknowledged that the results are "far from what we had hoped for," stating on the French channel TF1, "What is emerging is an unprecedented situation in political and parliamentary life, which will force us to overcome our certainties and divisions."
According to early projections from polling centers, the "Together" coalition led by the president topped the results, achieving between 210 and 260 seats, which grants it a relative majority that does not allow it to govern alone, knowing that an absolute majority requires 289 deputies out of 577.
The largest opposition bloc, the leftist "New Popular, Ecological and Social Union" led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, is estimated to secure between 150 and 200 seats. Meanwhile, the far-right National Rally party led by Marine Le Pen is projected to win between 60 and 100 seats, marking a significant breakthrough. The number of the party's seats has increased fifteenfold since Le Pen reached the decisive round of the last presidential election, and she was re-elected as a deputy in parliament, enabling her to form a bloc for the first time in over 35 years. The traditional right is expected to win around 60 seats and could play a crucial role in the new parliament, despite losing its status as the largest opposition bloc.
The precise distribution of all 577 seats in the National Assembly will not be known until later. These results are expected to negatively impact political stability in the country. Political expert Alain Duhamel predicted that every vote on a bill would be "open to the unknown" due to the absence of an absolute majority.
