Despite the victory of the New People’s Front in the second round of the parliamentary elections, questions are being raised about the political scene taking shape in France and the governance of the country as no party or alliance, including the left, wins an absolute majority.

The New Popular Front is estimated to win fewer than 200 seats, well short of the 289 threshold required for an absolute majority.

That means a left-wing government could be toppled at any time if the far-right and the pro-Macron coalition work together in a no-confidence vote. In addition, the government would be forced to seek alliances in order to pass bills.

At the same time, the question of leadership currently remains unanswered, as unlike Macron’s coalition and the National Rally, the left alliance has not proposed a person for the prime ministership.

The Socialists and France Insubordinate had attacked each other during the European election campaign before hastily agreeing to work together after French President Emmanuel Macron decided to call an election.

The scenario in which no party successfully secures an absolute majority — at least 289 of the 577 seats in the lower house — is not unprecedented for France. This is exactly what happened in the last parliamentary elections, in 2022. Macron has managed to form functional governments that have successfully passed bills over the past two years.

However, that was because French President Macron’s centrist coalition was large enough — with about 250 seats — and opposition parties were too fragmented to pose a threat. When it wasn’t, Macron’s government came dangerously close to collapse.