The new election in France

The left is ready for battle - wants the prime minister's post

As for the hot question of who will be France's new prime minister, there is only one option for the French left: The 37-year-old economist Lucie Castets.

- We have come here to remind the president how important it is to respect the election results and bring the country out of the political paralysis, Castets said when she arrived at the Élysée Palace on Friday for talks with Emmanuel Macron.

Despite the fact that the left-wing alliance NFP received the most votes in the new election, Macron has not shown Castet any greater interest. Instead, he has opened for a collaboration with the conservative right.

After Friday's meeting, the president is said to have told his staff that voters have shown they want change but have not completely distanced themselves from his leadership, sources on the ground told AFP.

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French battle ax buried during Olympics - being dug up again

Today and on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron receives all parties in parliament, with the aim of soon being able to appoint a new prime minister. The talks, which will be held seven weeks after the new elections, have been postponed due to the Olympics in Paris.

The Élysée Palace told Le Monde that a new prime minister should be appointed "quite quickly after these meetings". Furthermore, it is stated that "the president is on the side of the French".

Not everyone agrees. Fabien Roussel from the French Communist Party rages against the fact that the candidate of the leftist coalition has not already been made prime minister - and compares it to a "democratic coup d'état", writes BFM TV.

The left-wing coalition was the largest in this summer's new elections, but does not have its own majority. Nor have Macron's centrist parties or Marine Le Pen's right-wing coalition.

Left is first out. The meetings start at 10.30 a.m. today