French president accepts premier's resignation following snap election results

By Nur Asena Erturk

The French president on Tuesday accepted the prime minister’s resignation following snap election results.

“Prime Minister Gabriel Attal submitted the government's resignation to President Emmanuel Macron, who accepted it today,” the French government said Tuesday on X.

Attal will continue dealing with the government’s current affairs until a new government is formed, it added.

Attal submitted his resignation on July 8, following the second round of the elections. Macron, however, asked him to continue working on his position "for now" to "ensure stability in the country," sources in Elysee Palace told the broadcaster BFMTV.

The left-wing alliance New Popular Front (NFP) which is expected to get the most seats in the National Assembly -- the lower chamber of the parliament -- started searching for a candidate to propose as prime minister.

The intense work led to a divergence of opinion, even divisions inside the NFP, which is looking for a solid name to give Macron.

Political parties harshly criticized Macron for rejecting Attal's resignation, delaying the process, and causing instability in the country.

The New Popular Front could win over 180 seats. The centrist alliance, Together for the Republic, backed by Macron, finished second with over 160 seats, while Marine Le Pen's RN got over 140 seats.

The National Assembly has 577 seats, and none of the three primary alliances is expected to win an absolute majority of 289 lawmakers.

The first round was held on June 30, and 76 candidates were elected without a second round.

The RN received 29.26% of the vote alone (37 seats), a figure that rises to more than 33% when combined with its allies.

The NFP got 28.06% (32 seats), followed by the centrist Together with slightly over 20.04% (two seats).

Macron dissolved the parliament and announced early elections after the RN won more than 31% of the vote in the European Parliament elections on June 9, defeating his centrist bloc.