Political Turmoil in France After Left-Wing Victory

French left-wing leaders, victorious in Sunday's legislative election, aim to govern with their tax-and-spend program despite lacking a majority. Centrist parties seek involvement, leading to political instability before the Paris Olympics. Multiple parties within the coalition struggle to agree on a prime minister amid economic uncertainties.

French political leaders from the left-wing bloc that came first in Sunday's legislative election said they intended to govern according to their tax-and-spend programme, but centrists laid claim to a role as the left lacks a majority. The unexpected outcome of the snap election has plunged France into uncertainty just before the Paris Olympics, with no obvious path to a stable government capable of getting any legislation passed by a fragmented parliament.

The left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) won the most seats in the National Assembly but fell short of an absolute majority by about 100 seats. President Emmanuel Macron's centrists came second and the far-right National Rally (RN) third. "The path to government is very narrow, very fragile," said Fabien Roussel, leader of the Communist Party which is one of the smaller members of the NFP.

"But we have to try. The president of the republic has to let us govern," he said on RTL radio on Tuesday morning. NFP leaders have met behind closed doors several times since Sunday night, attempting to thrash out an agreement on which of them should be prime minister and how they should approach governing without a majority.