The newly elected French National Assembly elected its parliamentary president on Friday, highlighting the challenge the new government faces in securing a majority. This event also led to allegations of ballot stuffing, prompting French lawmakers to call for an investigation.

Yael Braun-Pivet, formerly the head of parliament under President Emmanuel Macron’s party Renaissance, won the election for parliamentary president for a second term. She secured the position by a narrow margin, defeating MP André Chassaigne of the French Communist Party by just 13 votes.

In accordance with Article 9 of the Rules of the National Assembly, the voting process involved three rounds of elections in which not only members of parliament but also 17 ministers cast their ballot. In the first two rounds, no candidate achieved the required absolute majority, leading to a third, simple majority round. Following the third round, the discovery of an additional 10 envelopes in the ballot boxes sparked suspicions of fraud and ballot stuffing among MPs from across the political spectrum. In response, Braun-Pivet promptly called for a re-run and after two additional rounds of voting emerged as the parliamentary president, prevailing over five other candidates.

The outcome of the election sparked mixed reactions. Left-wing MPs opposed Braun-Pivet’s re-election, pointing to the Renaissance party’s recent setbacks in the snap elections. On the other hand, President Macron congratulated Braun-Pivet, highlighting her commitment to ‘ensuring respect for opinions and the expression of a diversity of sensibilities’.

In response to the fraud allegations, Braun-Pivet emphasized the importance of French law in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, noting that only six tellers, selected at the beginning of each public session, were responsible for overseeing the counting process conducted by the Assembly staff. Importantly, she underscored the applicability and necessity of adhering to the established democratic rules during the electoral process.

The tumultuous election process and allegations of fraud highlight the current political climate in France. The recent re-elections following significant losses by President Macron’s Renaissance party in the European elections resulted in three political blocs in the National Assembly and a lack of consensus between the parties.