A left-wing alliance has won the most seats in France's parliament after voting in Sunday's runoff election thwarted Marine Le Pen's far-right party. But France will remain in a political limbo after no party came close to winning an absolute majority, CNN reports, UNN writes.
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"French President Emmanuel Macron, unable to call new elections for at least another year and with three years left in his term, looks set to preside over an unruly parliament as problems mount at home and abroad," the newspaper points out.
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Here's what we know:
How France voted: In a surprising result, the New Popular Front (NFP) - a group of several parties ranging from the far-left France Unbowed party to more moderate socialists and environmentalists - won 182 seats in the National Assembly, making it the largest group, but well short of the 289 needed for an absolute majority. Macron's centrist alliance (Ensemble) won 163 seats, and Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) and its allies won 143 seats.
What the result means: The RN party's strong performance in the first round had raised fears that "France could be on the verge of electing its first right-wing government since the collaborationist Vichy regime during World War II," the newspaper points out. But Sunday's results came as a huge disappointment and show the great desire of French voters to prevent the far right from coming to power - even at the cost of a hung parliament.
Mixed reactions: cheers rang out on the streets of Paris as predicted results indicated a victory for the left. Speaking to a crowd of enthusiastic supporters, Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the France Unconquered party, said the results were "a huge relief for the vast majority of people in our country." Meanwhile, Jordan Bardella, the 28-year-old leader of the far-right RN party, said France had plunged into "uncertainty and instability.
Who will be the next prime minister? French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, a Macron protégé, announced that he would resign on Monday morning, but it remains unclear who will succeed him. Sunday's results mean that Macron faces the prospect of having to appoint a representative of the left-wing coalition under a rare arrangement known as "cohabitation." However, representatives of Macron's party have repeatedly stated that they will refuse to work with the "Unconquered France," saying that it is as extreme (and therefore as unfit to govern) as the RN, the newspaper writes.
French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has reportedly headed to the Elysee Presidential Palace to submit his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron, according to television footage. It is not yet clear whether Macron will accept Attal's resignation, which was announced after the election results came in.
What did Macron say? In a brief statement, the Elysee Palace said Macron was awaiting the full results from all 577 electoral districts "before making the necessary decisions." "In his role as guarantor of our institutions, the president will ensure that the sovereign choice of the French people is respected," the statement said.
Difficult situation: Edouard Philippe, a former French prime minister and Macron ally, said the president's attempt to call early elections has led to "great uncertainty." "The truth is that none of the political blocs in the National Assembly has an independent majority to govern," he said. - "Therefore, the central political forces must remain. They should contribute to the creation of an agreement that will stabilize the political situation without compromise.