France faces hung assembly as Macron loses absolute majority

French President Emmanuel Macron lost control of the National Assembly in legislative elections on Sunday, a major setback that could throw the country into 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 the final figures showed Macron`s centrist camp got 245 seats – short of the 289 needed for an absolute majority.

The vote was a painful setback for Macron, 44, who was re-elected in April and wants to deepen European Union integration, raise the retirement age and inject new life into France`s nuclear industry.

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

Meanwhile, Marine Le Pen`s far-right National Rally party won its largest ever representation in the lower house while a resurgent left-wing bloc, Nupes, headed by the hard-left Jean-Luc Melenchon will form the largest opposition force. “The rout of the presidential party is complete,” Melenchon told supporters.

After a first presidential mandate marked by a top-down government style that Macron himself compared to that of Jupiter, the almighty Roman god, the president will now have to learn the art of consensus-building.

“This culture of compromise is one we will have to adopt but we must do so around clear values, ideas and political projects for France,” Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said.

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

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

Les Republicains, the party of former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Jacques Chirac, would be the obvious partner, in particular on economic policy. Their platform is more compatible with Ensemble than other parties. The two together have a chance at an absolute majority in final results, which requires at least 289 seats in the lower house.

But Christian Jacob, the head of Les Republicains, said his party will remain in the opposition but be “constructive”, suggesting case-by-case deals rather than a coalition pact.