France Macron rejects resignation of Prime Minister Attal for the time being

Following the unexpected outcome of the parliamentary elections in France, President Emmanuel Macron has rejected Prime Minister Gabriel Attal's request to resign for the time being. According to the Élysée Palace, Macron had asked him to remain prime minister for the time being in order to ensure the country's stability.

The left-wing alliance had surprisingly won the new elections. The government camp of Attal and Macron lost its majority in the National Assembly and is likely to become the second strongest force ahead of Marine Le Pen's right-wing nationalists. None of the groups achieved an absolute majority, making it difficult to form a government.

Attal announced his resignation on Sunday evening following the projections. However, it was already suspected that he could remain in office for a few more weeks to deal with current affairs - also in view of the Olympic Games, which begin on July 26 in Paris.