PARIS (AP) 鈥� French President Emmanuel Macron accepted the prime minister鈥檚 resignation Tuesday but kept him on as head of a caretaker government, as France prepares to host the Paris Olympics at the end of the month.
The president's office said in a statement that Macron 鈥渁ccepted鈥� the resignation of Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and other ministers on Tuesday. Attal and other government members are 鈥渢o handle current affairs until a new government is being appointed,鈥� the statement said.
There is no firm timeline for when Macron must name a new prime minister, following parliamentary elections this month that left the National Assembly with no dominant political bloc in power for the first time in France's modern Republic.
The caretaker government led by Attal will focus only on handling day-to-day affairs.
鈥淔or this period to end as quickly as possible, it is up to all Republican forces to work together" around 鈥減rojects and actions that serve the French people,鈥� the president's statement said.
The opening session of the National Assembly, France鈥檚 powerful lower house of parliament, is scheduled for Thursday.
Normally, members of government are barred from being lawmakers, but Tuesday's move allows Attal to take up his seat as a lawmaker and lead the group of Macron鈥檚 centrist allies in the National Assembly. It also insulates him from a no-confidence vote, because he already has resigned and a caretaker government cannot be subject to such a vote.
France has been on the brink of government since elections for the National Assembly earlier this month resulted in a split among three major political groupings: the New Popular Front leftist coalition, Macron鈥檚 centrist allies and the far-right National Rally of Marine Le Pen.
The New Popular Front but fell well short of the outright majority needed to govern on its own.
The leftist coalition's three main parties, the hard-left France Unbowed, the Socialists and the Greens, to form the new government, yet their internal talks have turned into a harsh dispute over whom to choose as prime minister.
France Unbowed suspended the talks on Monday, accusing the Socialists of sabotaging candidacies they have put forward to replace Attal.
Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure said Tuesday the leftist coalition needs "to think, talk and resume discussions鈥� if it wants to meet 鈥渢he expectation of the public鈥� and fulfill its promise that it 鈥渋s ready to govern.鈥�
Faure acknowledged that lengthy discussions, public bickering and occasional angry verbal exchanges among the coalition's party leaders are 鈥渘ot a good look.鈥� But 鈥渢he stakes are so high that it鈥檚 not unusual for us to talk for a long time and that sometimes, we yell,鈥� Faure said on France Inter radio.
National Rally vice president Sebastien Chenu said the quarreling on the left is a sign that the New Popular Front 鈥渋s not ready to govern.鈥�
He also lashed out at Macron on Tuesday, saying the retention of Attal at the helm of government following two recent elections 鈥� for the European Parliament and the National Assembly -- was 鈥渁 denial of democracy.鈥�
Keeping him on to manage 鈥渃urrent affairs鈥� amounts to 鈥渇ailing鈥� the French people, Chenu said in an interview with Europe 1 and CNews broadcasters.
鈥淲e cannot make something new out of something old,鈥� Chenu said. 鈥淎ttal must pack his bags, he and all his ministers.鈥�
Politicians from the three main groups are also waging a battle over the presidency and key committees in the National Assembly, France鈥檚 influential lower house of parliament.
Manuel Bompard, a lawmaker of the France Unbowed said he supported the idea of blocking lawmakers from Marine Le Pen鈥檚 far-right National Rally from holding leading positions in the parliament鈥檚 committees, such as finance, defense and others.
Despite Le Pen鈥檚 party finishing third in the elections, behind Macron鈥檚 group of centrists and the leftist alliance, Bompard said in an interview with France 2 TV that there is 鈥渘o reason for us to help them access positions of responsibility.鈥�
Le Pen, a leading figure in the French far right and a National Rally lawmaker, insisted that 鈥渁ll political forces must participate in the functioning鈥� of the parliament.
鈥淭he people have spoken. There are 577 lawmakers who represent them,鈥� Le Pen said in a post on X. 鈥淓ven if I am the last one to defend democracy, I insist that the Macronists, the New Popular Front, the National Rally and Eric Ciotti (a National Rally ally) must be represented in the legislative body,鈥� she added.
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Surk reported from Nice, France.
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Sylvie Corbet And Barbara Surk, The Associated Press
