French elections: Macron loses absolute majority in parliament in ‘democratic clash’

PARIS, June 19 (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron lost control of the National Assembly in legislative elections on Sunday, a major setback that could lead the country to political paralysis unless he is able to negotiate alliances with other parties.

Macron’s centrist Ensemble coalition, which wants to raise the retirement age and further deepen EU integration, was on course to end up with the most seats in Sunday’s election.

But they will fall far short of the absolute majority needed to control parliament, near-final results showed.

A broad leftist alliance was destined to be the largest opposition group, while the far right won record victories and the Conservatives were likely to become kings.

Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire called the result a “democratic shock,” adding that if other blocs don’t cooperate, “this would block our ability to reform and protect the French.”

A parliamentary parliament will require a degree of power-sharing and cross-party compromise that has not been experienced in France in decades. read more

There is no set script in France for how things will play out now. The last time a newly elected president failed to win an outright majority in parliamentary elections was in 1988.

“The result is a risk for our country in the face of the challenges we have to face,” Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said, adding that as of Monday, Macron’s camp will work on seeking alliances.

Macron could eventually call snap elections if there is a legislative deadlock.

“The defeat of the presidential party is complete and there is no clear majority in sight,” far-left veteran Jean-Luc Melenchon told supporters.

Leftwing Liberation called the result “a slap in the face” for Macron, and business daily Les Echos “an earthquake.”

ALLIANCES?

United behind Melenchon, the left-wing parties were seen to be on track to triple their score from the last legislative elections in 2017.

In another significant shift for French politics, far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s National Rally party could see a tenfold increase in the number of parliamentarians with as many as 90-95 seats, initial projections showed. That would be the largest representation of the party in the assembly.

Initial projections by pollsters Ifop, OpinionWay, Elabe and Ipsos showed Macron’s Ensemble alliance winning 230-250 seats, the leftist Nupes alliance winning 141-175 and Les Republicains 60-75.

Macron became the first French president in two decades to win a second term in April, as voters mobilized to keep the far right out of power.

But, seen as out of touch by many voters, he presides over a deeply disenchanted and divided country where support for populist parties on the right and left has grown.

His ability to carry out further reform of the euro zone’s second-largest economy depends on winning support for his policies from moderates outside his alliance, both on the right and on the left.

MODERATE?

Macron and his allies must now decide whether to seek an alliance with the conservative Les Republicanains, which came in fourth, or lead a minority government that will have to negotiate bills with other parties on a case-by-case basis.

“There are moderates in the benches, from the right, from the left. There are moderate socialists and there are people from the right who, perhaps, in legislation, will be on our side,” government spokeswoman Olivia Gregoire said.

Les Republicains platform is more compatible with Ensemble than with other parties. The two together have a chance of obtaining an absolute majority in the final results, which requires at least 289 seats in the lower house.

Christian Jacob, leader of Les Republicanains, said his party would remain in opposition but would be “constructive”, suggesting case-by-case deals rather than a coalition pact.

The former head of the National Assembly, Richard Ferrand, and the Minister of Health, Brigitte Bourguignon, lost their seats, in two big defeats for the Macron camp.

Macron had called for a strong mandate during a bitter campaign against the backdrop of a war in Europe’s eastern fringes that has squeezed food and energy supplies and spiked inflation, eroding household budgets.

Melenchon’s Nupes alliance campaigned to freeze the prices of essential goods, lower the retirement age, limit inheritances and ban companies that pay dividends from laying off workers. Melenchon also calls for disobedience towards the European Union.

Additional reporting by Benoit Van Overstraeten, Michel Rose, Richard Lough, John Irish, Juliette Jabkhiro, Caroline Pailliez, Layli Foroudi; Written by Ingrid Melander; Edited by Barbara Lewis, Emelia Sithole-Matarise, Cynthia Osterman, and Daniel Wallis

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