Macron admits ‘deep divisions’ in France exposed by legislative polls

Paris, June 23

French President Emmanuel Macron said he could not ignore the deep political divisions in the country as shown by the results of the legislative elections. In a televised speech late Wednesday night, Macron said that he had discussed with the leaders of the opposition political parties sitting in the National Assembly and there is no common answer on a national union, reports Xinhua news agency.

He said it would be necessary to build compromises with the other political parties sitting in the National Assembly in order to "serve the general interest" of the country.

For the French President, the political groups will need to say in total transparency where they are able to go in terms of voting laws and other decisions.

"No political forces can today make the laws alone," he said, adding: "We must learn to govern and legislate differently."

"Together we will find the path of collective success," the President said, while emphasizing urgent matters, such as purchasing power, labour, the environment, energy crisis and health.

"As soon as I return from Brussels, we will continue to build this new method," he added.

The French legislative elections were held on June 12 and 19.

Macron's alliance Ensemble won only 245 seats, falling short of 289 seats needed to secure an absolute majority in the National Assembly.

Left-wing alliance NUPES led by Jean-Luc Melenchon won 131 seats and the far-right National Rally led by Marine Le Pen made history with 89 seats, according to the official results.

The abstention rate of the second-round vote stood at 53.77 per cent, compared to 57.36 per cent in 2017.

--IANS