French voters appeared ready to deprive newly re-elected centrist President Emmanuel Macron of an absolute majority in parliament that would limit his powers during a second term.
On Sunday, France's interior ministry released partial results that showed Macron's centrist alliance is likely to miss the threshold for an absolute majority, which is 289 seats in the National Assembly, France's lower house. However, the president's coalition will remain the largest parliamentary bloc.
Macron's Failure To Gain Majority
Based on the 90% of second-round votes that were counted, Macron's alliance came first by securing 37.6% of the votes. The partial results also showed that the leftist coalition New Ecological and Social People's Union (NUPES), which is led by far-left figure Jean-Luc Melenchon, is set to come in second place and is projected to win 30.34% of the votes.
The leftist coalition would then become the main opposition force in France but it is expected to be divided on some issues once in parliament. Shortly after the partial results were released, Melenchon said that the situation was totally unexpected and was "absolutely unheard of," as per CNN.
The official added that the collapse of the presidential party is total and noted that no majority is presented. According to Melenchon, they have achieved the political objective that they set for themselves for the elections. His coalition aimed to bring down one who they said twisted the arm of the whole country.
The situation comes as Macron will become the first sitting French president to not win a parliamentary majority since a 2000 electoral reform. His coalition is expected to try and form alliances with other political parties, including reaching out to the traditional right which came fourth on Sunday.
According to the New York Times, the results are a rebuke of Macron who appeared disengaged in the campaign and more preoccupied with France's diplomatic efforts to support Ukraine in its war against Russia.
French Elections
Speaking on an airport tarmac before a trip to Eastern Europe, specifically Kyiv, Macron urged voters to give him a "solid majority" for the "superior interest of the nation." Despite his words of encouragement, the French president did little campaigning himself to the people of his country.
Macron's budget minister, Gabriel Attal, said that the results were not what they were hoping for while acknowledging that his party and its allies would have to "find a stability" in parliament if they want to push through legislation.
Elisabeth Borne, Macron's recently-nominated prime minister, was projected to win her race, similar to Gerald Darmanin, the president's tough-talking interior minister. However, several of his subordinates appeared to have lost, including Richard Ferrand, the president of the National Assembly, and Amelie de Montchalin, Macron's minister for green transition.
Marine Le Pen, who lost in the country's presidential election in May, said, "Macron adventure has reached its end." She added that the upcoming group of National Rally lawmakers will be by far the "biggest of the history of our political family." The acting president of the National Rally, Jordan Bardella, said that his party's results were comparable to a "tsunami," Fox News reported.
Related Article:
Emmanuel Macron Willing To Meet Vladimir Putin in Russia Under Certain Conditions
