French National Assembly dissolution not on agenda for now – government spokesperson

PARIS (Reuters) – The dissolution of the National Assembly lower house of parliament is “not a topic for now”, French government spokesperson Olivia Gregoire told France Inter radio on Monday, after President Emmanuel Macron lost his absolute majority.

Asked if Elisabeth Borne could stay on as Prime Minister, Gregoire said: “Elisabeth Borne was re-elected (as a lawmaker), this has not been an issue. We will see in the coming hours. Right now this not an issue.”

Elisabeth Borne on Sunday said that her government will get to work from Monday to reach out to potential partners in order to rally a majority behind it and ensure stability in the euro zone’s second-biggest economy.

Macron on Monday was faced with trying to salvage a ruling majority and with it his economic reform agenda, after voters punished his centrist ‘Ensemble’ alliance in France’s parliamentary election.

Final figures showed Macron’s centrist camp got 245 seats – short of the 289 needed for an absolute majority.

(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Leigh Thomas)