Talks to form a new government have begun in the wake of France's parliamentary elections. The left-wing alliance Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) claims the post of prime minister as the winner of the election and announced on Monday that it would present a candidate within a week.
However, the parties in the alliance face difficult negotiations: prominent representatives of the Socialists, Communists and Greens have explicitly ruled out Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the radical leader of the strongest left-wing party, La France Insoumise (LFI), as head of government.
Johannes Lindner, Co-Director of the Jacques Delors Centre, sees the party system "in a process of profound reorganisation". The unclear majority also means a shift in power: "The election result strengthens parliament and weakens the president," he says. As a result, it will be up to the parties to reorganise the majority in the coming days and weeks. "Emmanuel Macron will at most have a role as a moderator, which will certainly not be easy for the president."
Read more on this exceptional situation for France and possible scenarios on Table.media in English and German.