French President Emmanuel Macron refuses to accept the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal after the surprise result of France’s early parliamentary elections, the Élysée Palace announced on Monday.
Macron has asked Attal to remain prime minister for the time being to ensure the country’s stability, the report said. Attal announced his resignation on Sunday evening after the preliminary results were announced.
Official results released Monday by the Interior Ministry showed that France’s left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) alliance emerged as a surprise winner in Sunday’s second round of elections, but it failed to secure an overall majority. The new alliance did not enter the election with a leading candidate.
Macron’s centrist Ensemble (Together) bloc came in second. Marine Le Pen’s far-right nationalist Rassemble National (RN), initially seen as the favourite after the first round of voting, came in third.
None of the groups obtained an absolute majority, making it difficult to form a government.