Olympics success lifts mood, but Macron faces rude political awakening

No sign of end to deadlock in Parliament, and French President remains unpopular

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The success of the Olympic Games has surpassed the wildest dreams of many in France, but in the next few weeks, President Emmanuel Macron will still have to face the reality of the deadlocked politics created by his calling of snap legislative elections.

With the Games just around the corner, the polls left France with three major blocs in Parliament the left as the largest, followed by Mr Macron's centrist forces and the far right with none of them close to mustering the numbers for an overall majority.

The former government of Macron allies, under Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, has carried on in a caretaker capacity throughout the Games, but five weeks after the elections, the country still does not have a new prime minister.

Mr Macron may be hoping that the Games will boost his embattled fortunes in the same way that France's hosting and winning of the 1998 football World Cup dragged up former president Jacques Chirac's popularity ratings.

But even with Paris set to continue basking in the limelight while hosting the Paralympics from Aug 28 to Sept 8, he faces a potentially fraught return to reality.

While the Games have lifted what was a morose mood in France, it is far from certain this will give a new impulse to the remaining three years of the unpopular President's mandate.