France seeks a new government

France has been run by a caretaker government since July 16th, when the outgoing prime minister, Gabriel Attal, formally resigned, staying on to oversee the hugely successful Paris Olympic games. As The Economist went to press on August 29th, President Emmanuel Macron had yet to name a new prime minister, a decision that the constitution puts in his hands. No single parliamentary bloc—including the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP), Mr Macron’s centrists and Marine Le Pen’s hard right—won anything close to a majority in the 577-seat National Assembly. In July, therefore, Mr Macron called on political parties to try to forge a compromise that might lead to a cross-party government.