France erupts after shock election result
RIOTS have erupted on the streets of Paris after France’s left defeated the far-right in an unexpected election victory.
Footage shows bonƝres burning in streets as police in riot gear clash with demonstrators and used tear gas to disperse rioters.
Protests allegedly set off smoke bombs, burnt bikes and threw Molotov cocktails.
The outcome of the legislative elections, called by President Emmanuel Macron three years ahead of schedule in a bid to reshape the political landscape, saw no group winning an absolute majority.
This leaves France without any clear path to forming a new government three weeks before the Paris Olympics.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal is due to submit his resignation to Macron on Monday but has also made clear he is ready to stay on in a caretaker capacity as weeks of political uncertainty loom.
The left is emerging as the biggest group in the new parliament but has yet to even agree on a Ɲgure who it would want to be the new prime minister.
The results from the second round of the roll were a major disappointment for the far-right National Rally (RN) of Marine Le Pen, even if her forces are set to boast about their biggest ever contingent in parliament.
Macron’s centrist alliance will have dozens fewer members of parliament, but held up better than expected.
Projections by major polling agencies showed the NFP set to be the largest bloc in the new National Assembly with 177 to 198 seats, Macron’s alliance on 152 to 169 seats and the RN on 135 to 145 seats.
This means no group is even close to the 289 seats needed for an absolute majority and it remains unclear how a new government can be formed.
Mr Macron, who has yet to speak in public about the projections, is calling for “prudence and analysis of the results”, an aide, who asked not to be named.