French elections latest: Macron asks PM Attal to stay on after Le Pen’s loss

France’s economic minister has warned of “three major risks” facing the country amid the new political situation.

In a lengthy statement on X, Bruno Le Maire said the country remained “hostile to any discrimination and any distinction between citizens” and more than ever it was important to stay “united”.

He said the most immediate risk was a “financial crisis and France’s economic decline”.

He also warned of an “ideological fracture of the nation” and that all concerns needed to be listened to.

He said the last risk was a “regime crisis”.

“The forces of the National Assembly [French parliament] are scattered. Their ideas are even more so. We have a pressing need for consistency and lucidity,” he added.

“More than ever, therefore, let us return to reality.”

Mr Le Maire went on to say: “The place of France in the 21st century is now at stake. It is at this price. The price of reality.”

A spokesperson for German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed “relief” in response to the left’s win against the far right in the French run-off election on Sunday.

“At first I think a certain relief prevails,” the spokesperson said on Monday, adding that it remained to be seen what government would be formed in Paris following the election.

The spokesperson said he was not aware of any direct contact between the chancellor and the winning left-wing parties, adding that President Emmanuel Macron remained Berlin’s point of contact.

The Kremlin said on Monday it saw no strong political will in France aimed at restoring Moscow’s relations with Paris but would follow the formation of France‘s new government with interest after elections there.

Marine Le Pen’s nationalist, eurosceptic National Rally (RN), which opponents have accused of being too soft on Russia, failed to win a snap election on Sunday as the polls had predicted, with a leftist alliance unexpectedly taking the top spot in a hung parliament.

“The victory of political forces that would be supporters of efforts to restore our bilateral relations is definitely better for Russia, but so far we do not see such bright political will in anyone, so we do not harbour any special hopes or illusions in this regard,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

“Secondly, it is obvious that a drift is taking place in the moods of French voters, a drift that is really unpredictable. But we will watch the formation of government, the formation of blocs…with great interest.

“France is a very important country on the European continent, so of course, everything that happens there is interesting for us.”

Moscow has long courted leaders on Europe’s political far right and is keen to exploit any signs of division in Europe that could weaken support for Ukraine.

Le Pen has in the past expressed her admiration of President Vladimir Putin.

France is at risk of “immediate financial crisis” after the election result, the country’s outgoing economy minister has warned.

Bruno Le Maire celebrated the loss of the hard-right, but said there are risks ahead after president Emmanuel Macron’s party came second to the hard-left in a snap election.“The most immediate risk is a financial crisis and France’s economic decline,” he said.

French president Emmanuel Macron has refused the resignation of the country’s prime minister, asking him on Monday to remain temporarily as the head of the government after chaotic election results left the government in limbo.

French voters split the legislature on the left, centre and far right, leaving no faction even close to the majority needed to form a government. The results from Sunday’s vote raised the risk of paralysis for the European Union’s second-largest economy.

Mr Macron gambled that his decision to call snap elections would give France a “moment of clarification”, but the outcome showed the opposite, less than three weeks before the start of the Paris Olympics, when the country will be under an international spotlight.

France’s main share index opened with a dip, but quickly recovered, possibly because markets had feared an outright victory for the far right or the leftist coalition.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal had said he would remain in office if needed but offered his resignation Monday morning. Macron, who named him just seven months ago, immediately asked him to stay on “to ensure the stability of the country.” Mr Macron’s top political allies joined the meeting with Attal at the presidential palace.

Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) will join a new alliance in the European Parliament led by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Hungary’s government spokesperson said on Monday.

Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPO), Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz and the populist Czech ANO party led by Andrej Babis formed a new alliance in the European Parliament, citing the fight against illegal immigration, as well as transferring more powers from Brussels back to member states as the alliance’s goals.

Several early reactions from overseas rejoiced that the immediate threat of a far-right government had been averted.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told the radio station RNE he was happy to see a defeat for the far right, which he described as “completely contrary to European values”.

Nikos Androulakis, the head of Greece’s Socialist PASOK party, said the French people had “raised a wall against the far right, racism and intolerance and guarded the timeless principles of the French Republic: Liberty, Equality and Fraternity.”

Supportive messages came from leaders in Mexico and Venezuela, while Colombia’s leftist firebrand President, Gustavo Petro, also congratulated the French for keeping out Le Pen.

“There are battles that last just a few days but (which) define humanity’s fate. France has gone through one of these,” he said.

An EU official called it a “huge relief” but added: “what it means for Europe on a day to day basis remains to be seen though.”