French Prime Minister to Resign After Exit Polls Show Election Defeat for Far Right

Exit polls from France ’s parliamentary elections on Sunday revealed that, to the surprise of politicians and pundits alike, Marine Le Pen ’s National Rally is set to finish in third place behind French President Emmanuel Macron ’s centrist party and the left-wing coalition that formed just weeks ago. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said he would resign on Monday morning, as his centrist party failed to win a majority. The projected results indicate a repudiation from French voters of Le Pen’s far right policies and rhetoric, though it leaves unclear what the final government will look like. A hung parliament is likely; even though the National Rally secured more seats, no party secured a majority, and Macron has said he would not negotiate with Leftist leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon. Mélenchon called the results an “immense relief for a majority of people in our country,” according to the Associated Press. The Times reported that Macron will wait for the full picture to emerge before taking the necessary decisions, according to the Élysée Palace. “The president, as guarantor of our institutions, will respect the choice of French people,” the statement added.

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