French lawmakers have re-elected a member of President Emmanuel Macron\u2019s centrist bloc as president of parliament\u2019s lower house, a possible breakthrough in attempts to form a majority amid deadlock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
French politics have been in gridlock\u00a0after a snap election this month left the country without any clear path to forming a new government as Paris prepares to host the Olympic Games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lawmakers elected the president as parliament\u2019s lower house, the national assembly, met for the first time since the elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With 220 votes in the third round, Ya\u00ebl Braun-Pivet, 53, in a surprise move beat leftwing candidate Andr\u00e9 Chassaigne, who received 207 votes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seats in the 577-strong assembly are now divided between three similarly sized blocs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A broad leftwing alliance called the New Popular Front (NFP), which\u00a0unexpectedly topped the 7 July runoff\u00a0but fell well short of an absolute majority, has more than 190 seats in the National Assembly. Macron\u2019s camp has 164 lawmakers and the far-right National Rally 143.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thursday\u2019s election for speaker was a way to test the waters for possible alliances of convenience \u2013 although the secret ballot makes it impossible to say who exactly voted for which candidate in each of the three rounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The national assembly president mostly organises and moderates debate but has some key constitutional powers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n