France's right-wing fails to secure key positions in National Assembly
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The Finance Committee, usually chaired by the largest opposition party, will now be led by Eric Coquerel from France Unbowed.
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Copies of one of the most famous Greek statues, the Venus of Milo, stand on the steps of the French National Assembly ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 19, 2024 in Paris. (AP)
French right-wing parties have been edged out of top positions in the National Assembly's standing committees, with President Emmanuel Macron's centrists and leftist parties dominating the leadership roles, as indicated by a document published on the parliament's website on Saturday.
Members of Macron's centrist coalition will lead most committees, the document showed.
Notably, the Finance Committee, which is traditionally chaired by a member of the largest opposition party, will now be headed by Eric Coquerel from the hard-left France Unbowed.
The Cultural and Education Affairs Committee will be led by Fatiha Keloua-Hachi from the center-left Socialist Party.
Read more: Macron heads right to prevent left from controlling National Assembly
On Thursday, Yael Braun-Pivet from Macron's Ensemble coalition was re-elected as president of the French National Assembly for a second five-year term.
She won with a majority of 220 votes against André Chassin, who received 207 votes.
French media reported that Macron's party managed to form a temporary coalition, described as a "last-minute coalition," with centrist and right-leaning lawmakers to secure Braun-Pivet's re-election and defeat the left-wing Chassin.
Braun-Pivet secured her victory in the third round after the center-right withdrew their candidate following the first round of voting.
She won after receiving support from independent deputies, following two inconclusive rounds of voting.
Read more: Movements in French territories establish 'Liberation Front'
The right-wing National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, did not secure any of the deputy roles in the recent elections.
The latest parliamentary elections resulted in a hung parliament, with no single party holding a majority.
The New Popular Union (NPF), a broad coalition including France Unbowed, the Socialists, the Greens, and the Communists, emerged as the largest bloc with 182 seats.
Macron's Ensemble secured 161 seats, while Marine Le Pen’s National Rally won 142 seats.
