Macron in need of parliamentary majority

If French President-elect Emmanuel Macron is to enact his reform proposals his fledgling party must engineer a parliamentary majority in June’s elections to the National Assembly

Macron must win 289 seats to secure majority. If he fails to achieve this, he is likely to seek coalition with
other parties

Macron’s En Marche! – which as yet has no elected MPs – predicted to emerge as largest party, according to
initial polls

Socialist 28-43

Radical left 6-8

Centrist and conservative parties 200-210

National Front 15-25

En Marche! 

If conservatives win absolute majority, Macron will be forced into period of “cohabitation”, resulting in
political gridlock

Projected distribution*

Based on 535 of 577 seats

COHABITATION – three periods since 1958

President and prime minister represent different political parties

*OpinionWay-SLPV Analytics poll for Les Echos newspaper published May 3. Mainland France constituencies only, encompassing 535 of 577 seats in parliament

President

François Mitterrand

Jacques Chirac

Nicolas Sarkozy

François Hollande

1981

Prime Minister 

First Mitterrand- Jacques Chirac 1986-88

95

Second Mitterrand- Édouard Balladur 1993-95

Third Chirac– Lionel Jospin 1997-2002

2007

2012

2017

Presidential term shortened from seven to five years in 2000. Holding presidential and legislative elections close together reduces prospect of cohabitation as major changes in public opinion are less likely. But it is still possible

Pictures: Associated Press, Getty Images