French President Emmanuel Macron's alliance is set to lose an absolute majority in the parliament, show projections, which are based on partial results.
Macron's candidates would win between 200 and 250 seats – much less than the 289 required to have a straight majority at the National Assembly, France's most powerful house of parliament, according to Al Jazeera.
Projections Are A Setback For Macron
The predicted hung parliament could be a major setback for Macron. His reform plans for France could now be on hold due to possible political uncertainty.
NUPES Could Emerge As Second Biggest Alliance
The second biggest alliance in France could be the New Ecologic and Social People's Union (NUPES), a left-wing coalition of socialists and greens.
The alliance is led by Jean-Luc Melenchon. It came after people in France voted on Sunday for the lower house of the parliament, which is key to voting in-laws and has 577 members.
289 Seats Needed For An Absolute Majority
Macron needed 289 seats for an absolute majority. One projection showed his alliance was set to win 224. Another projection put the total at 210-250, while a third said it was 200-260, according to Sky News.
Gabriel Attal, Minister of Public Action and Accounts of France, stated that it's less than what they hoped for. He stressed that the French people have not given them an absolute majority. "It's an unprecedented situation that will require us to overcome our divisions."
In April, Macron was re-elected as president with an overall majority but today's gains would have given him a push to continue his promises, which include decreasing tax rates, changing the retirement age, and some others. But now Macron would not have a free hand on domestic policy matters.
Macron's coalition could now form an alliance with other parties or continue the minority government, which will be required to discuss laws on a case-by-case basis.
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