London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 03, 2026

Macron set to lose absolute majority in French parliament: reaction

Macron set to lose absolute majority in French parliament: reaction

President Emmanuel Macron was on course to lose his absolute majority in the French parliament after Sunday's election, first projections showed, an outcome which would constrain his ability to push through his reformist agenda.

Here are quotes from senior political officials, analysts and voters:

BRUNO LE MAIRE, FINANCE MINISTER


"This culture of compromise is one we will have to adopt but we must do so around clear values, ideas and political projects for France."

JEAN-LUC MELENCHON, LEADER OF THE LEFT-WING NUPES ALLIANCE


"(It is) a totally unexpected situation. The rout of the presidential party is complete and no clear majority is in sight."

"France has spoken and, it must be said, with an insufficient voice because the level of abstention is still much too high, which means that a large part of France does not know where to turn."

MARINE LE PEN, LEADER OF THE FAR-RIGHT


"The people have decided to place a powerful parliamentary group from the Rassemblement National inside the assembly."

"This group will be the largest in the history of our party. We have achieved our objectives: of making Emmanuel Macron a minority president, without control of power; of pursuing the political recomposition that is essential for democratic renewal."

OLIVIA GREGOIRE, GOVERNMENT SPOKESWOMAN


"There are moderates on the benches, on the right, on the left. There are moderate socialists and there are people on the right who, perhaps, on legislation, will be at our side."

GABRIEL ATTAL, BUDGET MINISTER:


"I am not going to hide the fact that these results, if confirmed, are far from what we hoped for. The French have not given us an absolute majority. It's an unprecedented situation that will require us to overcome our divisions."

JORDAN BARDELLA, INTERIM HEAD OF THE FAR-RIGHT RASSEMBLEMENT NATIONAL:


"It's Emmanuel Macron's own arrogance, his own contempt for the French people and his own impotence on security and purchasing power that has made him a minority president. It's a big breakthrough."

RACHIDA DATI, CONSERVATIVE MAYOR OF PARIS 7EME ARRONDISSEMENT


"It is an abject failure for this government. Even Mitterrand in 1988 did not hit this level. It is the failure of Macron's strategy. He will have to draw the consequences and change prime minister."

ALFONSO RODRIGUEZ, MACRON VOTER


"We would have liked things to go differently, to have a big majority to defend Emmanuel Macron’s agenda."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Marks Merchant Navy Day With Tribute to Civilian Seafarers
Burnham Pays Tribute to Two Police Officers Killed on Duty in Northern England
Booking.com Left Fake Downing Street Listing Online for Two Months, Which Says
Burnham and Macron to Review UK-France Cooperation on Channel Crossings
UK Business Confidence Improves Slightly but Investment Concerns Persist
Burnham Faces Pressure Over Future North Sea Oil and Gas Licences
Burnham Pushes Wider English Devolution Through ‘Number Ten North’
British Chambers of Commerce Raises 2026 UK Growth Forecast to 1%
Keir Starmer Resigns as Holborn and St Pancras MP, Triggering By-Election
UK Chancellor Faces Tighter Budget Headroom as Long-Term Borrowing Costs Rise
UK Government Weighs Thames Water Nationalisation as Financial Crisis Deepens
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Faces First Commons Questions Over Tax and Spending Plans
Eleven British Seafarers Receive Merchant Navy Medal
Which? Creates Fake 10 Downing Street Rental Listing to Expose Booking.com Vetting Weaknesses
BP Appoints New Chairman in Effort to Stabilise Leadership
Aberdeen Sells Hydrogen Bus Fleet at Heavy Loss After Green Transport Experiment
UK Records Hottest Summer on Record as Climate Change Intensifies Extreme Heat
Scotland Pledges to End Temporary Accommodation for Children and Build 111,000 Affordable Homes
DNO Agrees $396 Million Deal to Acquire Capricorn Energy
Uber and Wayve Launch UK’s First Supervised Autonomous Ride-Hailing Service in London
Britain Expected to Avoid New US Tariffs Targeting European Union
Middle East Conflict Pushes UK Energy Costs Higher and Revives Inflation Concerns
UK Growth Forecast Cut to 1% Through 2027 as Youth Unemployment Is Projected to Rise
Andy Burnham Links Weak UK Growth to Brexit in First Full Commons Session as Prime Minister
Keir Starmer Resigns as MP, Triggering Holborn and St Pancras By-Election
UK Business Confidence Improves but Remains Deeply Negative
Aberdeen Hydrogen Bus Sale Recovers Just Six Pence for Every Pound Invested
Which? Exposes Booking.com Verification Failures With Fake 10 Downing Street Listing
British Business Bank Invests Up to £46 Million in Deep-Tech Startup Fund
Scottish Government Puts Violence Against Women at Center of Legislative Program
FCA Eases UK IPO Rules to Strengthen London’s Listing Market
UK Likely to Avoid Next US Tariff Measures as Washington Targets EU
Macron Visits UK for Bayeux Tapestry Exhibition and Border Security Talks
British Chambers of Commerce Cuts UK Growth Outlook to 1% for 2026 and 2027
Keir Starmer Resigns as MP for Holborn and St Pancras, Triggering By-Election
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Unveils Devolution and Cost-of-Living Agenda
UK Borrowing Costs Surge as 30-Year Gilt Yield Reaches 5.88%
Cleveland Police Receive £2 Million to Tackle Serious Crime in Middlesbrough
Number of Young People in England Without a Close Friend Reaches Record Level
Five Arrested After Newborn Baby Dies From Stab Wounds in Sheffield
Nigel Farage Faces Questions Over Reported Second Parliamentary Standards Investigation
UK Retirement Funding Requirement Rises by £64,000 Compared With 2021
UK House Prices Rise for First Time Since April, Nationwide Says
FCA Chief Faces Allegations of Intimidating Consumer Group Over £9 Billion Car Loan Inquiry
Scottish Government Presses Ahead With Cap on Essential Food Prices
Burnham Government Moves to Overhaul Early Prison Release Scheme
UK Records Hottest Summer on Record in 2026, Met Office Says
UK Government Announces Major Reset of Diplomatic Policy Towards Israel
UK Pushes Back After Trump Reopens Falkland Islands Sovereignty Dispute
Keir Starmer Resigns as MP, Triggering Holborn and St Pancras By-Election
×