Markets on tenterhooks as French politicians jostle for power

London | France’s rejuvenated left on Monday (Tuesday AEST) began searching for a way to turn their surprise election surge into a firm grip on the reins of power, as weeks of jockeying to form a coalition government get underway.

With the Olympic Games only a fortnight away, centrist French President Emmanuel Macron asked his prime minister, 35-year-old Gabriel Attal, to remain in post, along with key senior ministers, while the horse-trading and deal-making plays out.