FRANCE’S LOWER HOUSE of parliament has elected Yael Braun-Pivet, from President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance, as its new speaker – the first woman to hold the post.
The National Assembly opened its first session today since legislative elections this month shook up France’s political landscape, depriving Macron’s party of its former majority.
Macron’s alliance still has the most seats but no longer enough to comfortably adopt laws.
The leftist Nupes coalition is the biggest opposition force and hopes to challenge Macron’s plans to cut taxes and raise the retirement age.
The far-right party of three-time presidential candidate Marine Le Pen won a record number of seats and is expected to press for anti-immigration policies.
The new speaker thanked colleagues on social media after the vote, saying that they have opened a “new chapter”.
She had been serving as the minister for overseas territories.
Despite the loss of the majority, Macron’s ruling alliance still managed to push through her appointment in the second round of voting.
Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne and other senior Macron backers have been trying to win over individual right-wing and moderate left parliamentarians to bolster their ranks.
Borne, appointed last month, is France’s second woman prime minister after the brief stint by Edith Cresson in the 1990s.
Additional reporting by AFP
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