When President Emmanuel Macron defended his decision last month to call snap legislative elections, he argued repeatedly that France needed a “clarification” of its political situation.
But on Monday, after the French cast their final ballots, the situation was anything but clear.
A nationwide vote for the 577 seats in the National Assembly, the country’s more powerful house of Parliament, has not produced a working majority.
Three large blocs have emerged from the elections — none big enough to govern alone, all of them possibly too antagonistic to work together.
None has reached the threshold for an absolute majority, 289 seats, which would enable them to form a government that could survive no-confidence votes by their rivals.
Persons:
Emmanuel Macron
Organizations:
National Assembly
Locations:
France