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What happens next after the French elections
Will Emmanuel Macron resign and what does this all mean for Marine Le Pen’s tilt at the presidency in 2027
Marine Le Pen’s party came a shock third in the second round of parliamentary elections, according to exit polls.
A Left-wing coalition came first and French president Emmanuel Macron Ensemble (Together) alliance second. It follows tactical voting and pacts to keep Ms Le Pen and her hard-Right National Rally out of power.
What are the results?
By Sunday evening, pollsters had Jean Luc Melenchon’s Left-wing New Popular Front coalition on between 172 and 215 seats; Mr Macron’s centrist allies on 150 to 180, and the National Rally in third place with between 115 and 155 seats.
It’s a dramatic reversal of the first round which saw Ms Le Pen get 33 per cent of the popular vote, followed by the Left-wing New Popular Front with 28 per cent and president Emmanuel Macron’s centrist bloc on 20 per cent.
What happens next?
With no party getting close to the 289 seats needed for an absolute majority, the country enters into a hung parliament arrangement.
This is unknown territory for modern France and will likely see Mr Macron pursue coalition negotiations with the centre-Left or name a technocratic government with no political affiliations.
Whatever happens, his centrist camp will likely be forced to share power. Weeks of negotiations now lie ahead, leaving France and Europe more unstable.
Will Macron resign?
Top aides had already warned that Mr Macron was “unpredictable” and “unstable” and could resign after Sunday’s second-round parliamentary elections.
This would result in new presidential elections, which would likely pit Mr Macron against Ms Le Pen for a third re-match.
Mr Macron has so far not suggested he would resign though he now faces the final three years of his presidency with no clear majority – essentially a lame duck.
He has lost control of parliament whatever happens, leaving him severely weakened on the domestic front, and wounded as an international leader.
What happens to Le Pen?
Ms Le Pen was previously expected to stand for the presidency again in 2027 and has not come out to suggest otherwise after her defeat on Sunday.
Speaking after the results came in she said: “The tide is rising. It did not rise high enough this time, but it continues to rise and, consequently, our victory has only been delayed.”
She added that she refused to be “disappointed by a result where we double our members of parliament.”
Remaining out of power will allow her grouping to continue its path as the party of protest, leading some experts to warn that it will continue to grow stronger over time.