French President asks Prime Minister to continue working amid 'hung parliament'

Paris [France], July 9: French President Emmanuel Macron has asked Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to stay on in a caretaker capacity to maintain stability after early parliamentary elections.
No party won a majority of seats in the French parliamentary elections , but the left-wing coalition New Popular Front (NFP) unexpectedly took the opportunity to win the most votes (182 out of 577 seats). The far-right National Rally (RN), although expected to come in first, came in third with 143 seats while Mr Macron 's centrist coalition had 168 seats, according to The Guardian .
The NFP met on July 8 to discuss policy and select a candidate for prime minister. Since no party has won a majority, the formation of a new government is expected to take several weeks with many options.
The leader of the far- left Unconquered France party , Jean-Luc Melenchon, a member of the NFP, has ruled out forming a coalition government with the centrists. Green Party leader Marine Tondelier is said to be among the NFP figures who could become prime minister. "According to the logic of our institutions, Emmanuel Macron should today formally invite the NFP to nominate a prime minister," Tondelier said.
Prime Minister Attal submitted his resignation on the morning of July 8, but President Macron asked him to continue working until the end of the upcoming Paris Olympics and ensure that France still has a functioning government.
President Macron said he wanted to wait until parliament was formed before deciding on a new government. The leader is expected to travel to the US for a NATO summit on July 10.
Prime Minister Attal had previously said he was ready to take on the role as caretaker for as long as needed to help ensure a smooth transition. According to a statement from the Elysee Palace, President Macron asked Attal to stay on to ensure the country's stability.
The parliamentary elections were called at the request of President Macron after the RN came in first place in the previous European Parliament elections in France. To stop the RN, a " republican front " was formed to avoid splitting the vote across hundreds of constituencies.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper