German government relieved about French election outcome

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his entire government are, in his own words, "relieved" about the outcome of the parliamentary elections in France, which saw the far right fail to achieve a breakthrough and an unexpected win for the left.

It would have been a major challenge if French President Emmanuel Macron had to agree to work with a right-wing populist party, Scholz said on the fringes of a visit to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf) in Nuremberg.

"That has now been averted," he added.

The secretary general of Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD), Kevin Kühner, reacted more euphorically: "A load has been lifted off many people's minds - including mine," he told broadcaster ZDF.

The new left-wing alliance New Popular Front (NFP) has won the snap parliamentary elections.

Macron's centrist Ensemble (Together) coalition came in second place. Marine Le Pen's far-right nationalist National Rally (RN), initially seen as the favourite after the first round of voting, came third.

The chancellor said he hopes that Macron and the elected lawmakers would succeed in forming a stable government.

"In any case, I am also pleased with regard to the important Franco-German friendship, and I can personally say that I am also pleased with regard to the good personal relationship that I have with the French president," he said.

Scholz also emphasised the importance of the election result for the European Union.

It is about cooperation among the 27 member states, but also about further development and the inclusion of new countries.

"This is only possible together with France," said Scholz.

"And that is why the result is the basis for us being able to continue to fulfil this task in the future."

Earlier, German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck had said that while France now faced the big challenge of forming a government - especially given that no political camp won the 289 seats needed to secure an outright majority in the National Assembly - it was heartening to see how centrist and leftist parties had worked together to prevent France from drifting toward far-right nationalism.

During a visit to Stuttgart on Monday, the Green party politician called it an "encouraging election result."

Left Party leader Martin Schirdewan described the election result in France as a sign of hope at a press conference in Berlin. "Macron has gambled away. He gambled big. The price was almost the seizure of power by the extreme right in France," he said.

Fortunately, the left had won the election and saved the country from this, said Schirdewan. "That should give us all courage. France is a sign of hope for Europe, but also for the German left."

His own party had recently performed poorly in the European Parliament elections and also in previous local elections. The party is searching for its future course, following a split by former party members close to the politician Sahra Wagenknecht, who quit the Left Party to found a new populist party that carries her name.