France’s left-wing coalition demands right to form government after divided parliament vote

PARIS — A left-wing coalition that unexpectedly won the most seats in France’s National Assembly demanded immediate authority to form a government Tuesday, even though no single party won a majority of seats.

It is unprecedented in modern French history to have a divided parliament. Sunday’s vote raised the risk of paralyzing the European Union’s second-largest economy. The legislature is split between the leftist New Popular Front coalition, centrist allies of President Emmanuel Macron and the far-right National Rally.

Macron on Monday asked his prime minister, Gabriel Attal, to continue to handle day-to-day matters despite Attal’s offer to resign, less than three weeks before the start of the Paris Olympics. Macron leaves for a NATO summit in Washington on Wednesday.

The three main parties in the left-wing coalition — far-left France Unbowed, the Socialists and the Greens — have begun negotiations to find a candidate for prime minister. The coalition, in a statement, called on Macron to “immediately turn to the New Popular Front” and allow it to form a government. It said Attal’s “prolonged detention” could be seen as an attempt to erase the election results.

“We solemnly warn the president of the republic against any attempt to take over the institution,” the statement said, adding: “If the president continues to ignore the results, it will be tantamount to a betrayal of our constitution and a coup against democracy, which we will firmly oppose.”

The left-wing coalition includes former French Socialist President Francois Hollande, who made a surprise comeback as one of the most prominent candidates in the election, winning a seat in his hometown. He is seen as a key player but has not spoken to reporters as he joins other members of the Socialist party.

The new Popular Front “is the leading republican force in this country and therefore its responsibility is to form a government… to implement the public policies expected by the French people,” said Green Party MP Cyrielle Chatelain.

Talks within the left-wing coalition are now hampered by internal divisions, as the goal of its hasty formation in recent days — keeping the far right out of power in France — has been achieved.

Some are pushing for a far-left prime minister, while others, closer to the left of the center, prefer a more consensual personality. The French prime minister is accountable to parliament and can be removed from power by a vote of no confidence.

“France’s stalwart legislators enter the National Assembly not as an opposition force… but as a force that intends to govern the country,” said far-left lawmaker Mathilde Panot.

The Socialist Party’s chief negotiator, Johanna Rolland, said the next prime minister would not be Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the controversial leftist founder of France Unbowed who has angered many moderates. Mélenchon, who did not run in the parliamentary elections, joined the talks in the National Assembly.

In an interview with France 2 television, Rolland suggested that the left-wing coalition could work with centre-left members of Macron’s coalition.

Some have come to terms with the need to make arrangements and come to terms.

“I think the French have sent us a clear message. They don’t want to give an absolute majority to any particular political bloc, so they are telling us to listen to each other, to work together, and that’s what we have to do,” said Yael Braun-Pivet, a member of Macron’s centrist alliance and a former president of the National Assembly.

According to official results, all three main blocs failed to win the 289 seats needed to control the 577-seat National Assembly, the more powerful of France’s two legislative chambers.

The results showed the New Popular Front could win just over 180 seats, Macron’s centrist coalition over 160 and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally over 140.

Macron has three years left in his presidential term.

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The article was co-authored by Barbara Surk of Nice, France, and Jeffrey Schaeffer of Paris.

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