With 314 seats out of 577 for his centre-right UMP party, Nicolas Sarkozy won a clear majority in the French Parliament, according to the final results published on 17 June by the interior ministry.
Combined with 22 seats for the Presidential Majority - a new centrist group supportive of the newly elected French president – Sarkozy won the necessary majority to implement the economic reforms he promised during the May presidential campaign.
But it was not the landslide victory predicted in the polls prior to the election as the Socialist opposition led by François Hollande gained 185 seats. Compared to the 149 seats in the previous Parliament, the Socialists come out strengthened from the election and will prove a force to be reckoned with by the government of Prime Minister François Fillion.
The government was also dealt a blow with number two Alain Juppé being forced to resign from his super-ministry of environment, transport and energy, after losing the Bordeaux constituency.
Commenting on the results, Socialist leader François Hollande said the crushing "blue wave" that had been predicted by polls had not taken place. "In the new assembly, there will be diversity and pluralism," he said, adding that this was "good for the country".
In a televised address, Fillon said he would seek to implement the reforms and find "a national consensus on the great challenges of our century". "We will reform, we will renovate, we will experiment with new ideas," Fillon said, adding that the majority will respect the opposition and strengthen its rights in Parliament.
However, the Socialists were also dealt their share of surprises as Ségolène Royal, the defeated Socialist contender in the May presidential, announced her separation from Hollande. Royal has announced her intention to run against her former companion and father of four to lead the Socialist party.
The elections were also marked by a relatively low voter turnout, with a participation rate of around 60%, well below the 80% achieved in the presidential election.
