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French PM halts planned unemployment reform after falling back in election

In reaction to the first round of parliamentary election results, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has suspended the proposed unemployment reform that would have cut jobseekers' benefits, according to a report.

AFP

French PM responds to election setback by freezing unemployment reform. / Photo: AFP

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal has decided to suspend progress on a planned unemployment reform, which would have reduced the jobseekers' benefits, a source close to Attal told Reuters news agency.

This decision comes in the wake of the first round of France's parliamentary elections where Attal's and French President Emmanuel Macron's camp finished a distant third behind the far-right party National Rally (RN) and the left-wing alliance New Popular Front (NFP).

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'Not a single vote to RN'

France’s prime minister has called for countering the far-right National Rally (RN) party after its victory in snap elections.

“Not a single vote must go to the RN,” Gabriel Attal said in a live address to the nation after the preliminary results were revealed.

Attal, who is a member of President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance, stressed that the National Assembly, the lower chamber of the French parliament, was never under such a risk in its history.

“Our objective is clear: preventing the National Rally (party) from achieving an absolute majority in the second round, from dominating the National Assembly,” he added.

He noted that “everyone understood” that the left-wing New Popular Front alliance would not have an absolute majority in the next round.

The second round of the elections will be held on July 7.

SOURCE: Reuters