France's search for PM back to square one as hopeful quits

PARIS — Hopes of France's left-wing bloc finding a consensus candidate to lead the country's next government after an inconclusive snap election unravelled on Sunday as the best-placed contender dropped out.

A broad alliance of Socialists, Communists, Greens and the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) holds the largest number of seats in the National Assembly after last week's election runoff, but with 193 seats in the 577-strong lower chamber they are well short of a majority.

The result, says the leftist bloc — called New Popular Front (NFP) — entitles it to pitch their candidate for prime minister to President Emmanuel Macron, whose allies trailed in the vote.

Several days of wrangling within the loose coalition produced little until the emergence of 73-year-old Huguette Bello, a former communist MP and currently the president of the regional council in France's overseas territory La Reunion, as a possible consensus candidate.

Bello quickly got the backing of LFI, communists and the Greens.

But they could not bring on board the centre-left Socialists, who have continued to back their party boss Olivier Faure for the job.

In the face of Socialist resistance, Bello said on Sunday that she would drop out.

In a statement, Bello said there was no consensus on her candidacy “among all members” of the NFP, notably the Socialists.

“Hopeful of an early agreement within the NFP, I have decided to decline without further delay the offer that I was made,” she said.

Bello’s withdrawal sends the left-wing alliance back to the drawing board.

“There is no consensus name,” Socialist party general secretary Pierre Jouvet told AFP late Saturday.

Macron, meanwhile, has ruled out a government role for either the LFI — the largest player in the New Popular Front (NFP) left alliance — or the far-right RN in any new coalition.

Macron’s allies came second with 164 seats in the election, and the far-right National Rally (RN) third at 143.

According to the constitution, Macron appoints the prime minister, who should be able to survive a confidence motion in parliament.

Outgoing Prime Minister Gabriel Attal is expected to submit his resignation to Macron over the coming days, but the president could ask Attal to stay on as a caretaker while Paris hosts the Olympic Games starting July 26.