PARIS Following the second round of legislative elections, French President Emmanuel Macron will not have an absolute majority in the upcoming National Assembly, according to the final results published by the Interior Ministry on Monday.
Macron's Ensemble alliance won 245 seats in Sunday's elections, falling short of the 289 needed for an absolute majority, according to the regional media report. The left-wing alliance NUPES led by Jean-Luc Melenchon won 131 seats, while the far-right National Rally led by Marine Le Pen made history with 89 seats.
The abstention rate in the second round of voting was 53.77 percent, compared to 57.36 percent in 2017.
According to the French news channel BFMTV, Cabinet Ministers who were not elected as deputies in their constituency will be forced to resign. The 577-member National Assembly will be elected in 572 run-off races on Sunday, with a total of 1,148 candidates.
Macron had an absolute majority during his first term and defeated Le Pen in April to secure his second presidential term.
France enters final phase of preparations for legislative polls
