The Left-Green NFP coalition emerged as the biggest political force but with nowhere near enough seats for an overall majority.

Macron’s centrist faction and the RN make up the two other major groups in the National Assembly.

Barnier is a staunch pro-European and a career moderate politician, but he toughened his discourse considerably during his failed 2021 attempt to get the ticket to run for his Republicans party for the presidential election, saying immigration was out of control.

Sebastien Chenu an MP for the RN, earlier on Thursday morning told BFM TV that the party would wait to see what Barnier has to say on immigration, and on changing France’s voting system.

Laurent Jacobelli, also an RN MP, said one condition was that they would agree to dissolve parliament as soon as possible - which would be early July next year.