France Faces Political Gridlock as Hung Parliament Emerges

France's recent elections resulted in a hung parliament, with a leftist alliance leading but no group securing a majority. The outcome was a setback for both Marine Le Pen's National Rally and President Emmanuel Macron. The fragmented parliament raises uncertainties about future governance and France's role in the EU.

France is grappling with potential political deadlock after Sunday's elections resulted in a hung parliament. A leftist alliance unexpectedly took the top spot, but no group achieved a majority. This result was a significant blow to Marine Le Pen's nationalist, eurosceptic National Rally (RN).

The election outcome also dealt a serious setback to centrist President Emmanuel Macron, who called for the snap election in hopes of clarifying France's political landscape after his party's poor performance in the European Parliament elections last month. Instead, he now faces a fragmented parliament, threatening to weaken France's influence within the European Union and complicate domestic governance.

Parliament is now divided among three major groups—the left, centrists, and far-right—with differing platforms and no history of collaboration. This situation forecasts political gridlock and uncertainty about the country's future direction.

(With inputs from agencies.)