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  • President Macron of France has suffered a major political setback after his party failed to win a majority in the country's parliamentary elections.

  • The left alliance did better than expected.

  • And Macron now faces a tough challenge to deliver his policies.

  • This interest ensemble coalition.

  • So they're expected to win 245 seats Well short of the 289 that are needed to control the National Assembly.

  • The left wing alliance headed by jean Luc Melenchon is second on 131 Marine Le Pen's far right National Rally has 89 seats with the mainstream right wing law Republican headed by christian Jacob back on 64 let's hear more from our paris correspondent, lucy Williamson.

  • His centrist coalition has lost a third of its seats.

  • Just look at the mood.

  • The situation is unprecedented.

  • The National Assembly has never seen a configuration of this type in the 5th Republic.

  • The situation constitutes a risk for our country.

  • In view of the challenges that we have to face.

  • This is now President Macron's main opposition.

  • A new alliance of green and left wing parties dominated by far left mps.

  • Initial estimates confirming their new status as the first opposition party of France.

  • It's the total defeat of the President's Party and there is no majority.

  • We have achieved the political objective.

  • We gave ourselves to bring down the men who with such arrogance, twisted the arm of the world country to get elected.

  • But this was the big surprise of the night Marine Le Pen's far right National Rally Party jumped from a handful of seats to almost 90 plenty of opposition to the president from all sides, we're going to continue to bring french people together as part of a greek popular movement, unifying all patriots from the right and left.

  • The parliamentary opposition to Mr Macron's centrist coalition is now much stronger than before, but it's also more fractured with one bloc led by jean Luc Melenchon on the far left of the chamber and another by Marine Le Pen on the far right french politics is realigning around these three political groups.

  • Some voters say it's no bad thing if President Macron is forced to negotiate with his opponents.

  • Others believe denying the government a majority only leads to stagnation.

  • President Macron is facing a new era of political opposition that some see as good for democracy and others as bad for France, lucy Williamson BBC news paris thanks very much to lucy Well, let me bring you some pictures that are coming out of paris.

  • Now here we have the parliament, there are people who have been elected, arriving apparently following that election in France gave that upset to President Macron.

  • No doubt he's going to have to make deals with the various parties so we'll be able to follow that and see exactly how well he does or how successful he is in that endeavor.

  • The BBC's scofield is also in paris and he told us why after President Macron's resounding presidential election less than two months ago.

  • These parliamentary results look so different.

  • A lot a lot of people who voted for Macron did, so not out of any love for him, but keep out Marine Le Pen.

  • I mean, broadly the country now breaks down into three blocks the center of Macron, the left and far left under melon show and and the right and far right of Marine Le Pen, they're pretty much on on a level path.

  • Um because there are three of them, it means that in the in the two round election, which is the second round of the presidential, it meant that everyone on the left voted to keep out Marine Le Pen.

  • So, um, Macron was badly elected.

  • He was elected in a kind of unhappy way reluctantly a country not giving him an enthusiastic welcome, but just saying, all right, we agree and and saving up for themselves a majority of the country.

  • This feeling that, well, we can exact our revenge, the parliamentary which are coming.

  • And then that's what's happened in the past.

  • President tend to get a big boost in the parliamentary elections, follow their elections because the country says, well, okay, we'll do the job, but not this time.

  • That's because Macron was re elected and a lot of people didn't like him.

  • A lot of people don't like him.

  • And as I say, what were keen to have this opportunity to deliver him this, this this this stinging review.

  • Well, that that happened and I'm just wondering, I mean, what does that mean then for the next few years in France?

  • I mean, some of the discontent that we've seen over cost of living or mr Macron wanted to bring in pension reform, for example, somebody like Marine Le Pen was much more interested perhaps in immigration.

  • I mean, where do we think there will be changes in french politics or policies or does it all come to a slowdown?

  • Well, I mean, the risk is it does come to a big slowdown in that in France.

  • The, the great reform projects of Macron simply peter out that he ends up sort of cutting a kind of tacit compromise with this big opposition on the extremes.

  • And, and, and so there's nothing bold or daring, but that was his sort of trademark, that he would be bold and daring.

  • Possibly this, this next mandate will be one of the best opportunity and he would just drift through focus on foreign affairs and not do very much, which of course would be seen by supporters as a great waist.

  • And then the other question, of course, is internationally or in europe now, I mean, he's been the great shining new leader of invigorated europe.

  • And, you know, very much enjoyed this role of striding the international stage is the the young leader of uh, of France, which was back at the range of europe, but now, what I mean, when everyone can see that he's so gravely weakened at home, we'll either have the same panache abroad.

President Macron of France has suffered a major political setback after his party failed to win a majority in the country's parliamentary elections.

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