France’s leftist coalition demands right to form gov’t
The leftist coalition that won the most seats in France’s National Assembly in surprise results demanded the immediate right to form a government, even though no grouping won a majority of seats.
Sunday’s vote raised the risk of paralysis for the European Union’s second-largest economy. The legislature is split between the New Popular Front leftist coalition, President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist allies and the far-right National Rally, AP reported. Macron on Monday asked his prime minister, Gabriel Attal, to continue handling day-to-day affairs, despite Attal’s offer of resignation, less than three weeks before the start of the Paris Olympics. Macron left Wednesday for a NATO summit in Washington.
The leftist coalition’s three main parties — the hard-left France Unbowed, the Socialists and the Greens — began 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.