The French left has said it wanted to run the government but conceded that talks would be tough and take time, after yesterday's election thwarted the far right's quest for power but delivered a hung parliament.
Many of France's allies breathed a sigh of relief after Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN) failed to win the snap election called by President Emmanuel Macron.
But with the leftist New Popular Front (NFP) alliance, hastily assembled before the election, unexpectedly coming first but far from an absolute majority, the election heralded a period of volatility and possible gridlock.
"It's not going to be simple, no, it's not going to be easy, and no, it's not going to be comfortable," said Green party leader Marine Tondelier. "It's going to take a bit of time."
Possibilities include the left forming a minority government - which would be at the mercy of a no confidence vote from rivals unless they reach deals - and the cobbling together of an unwieldy coalition of parties with almost no common ground.
"We'll need some time," NFP politician Pouria Amirshahi told Reuters as newly elected politicians arrived in parliament to pick up their badges and settle in, adding that any option was complex.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, a centrist and close ally of Mr Macron, tendered his resignation but the head of state rejected it.
"The president has asked Gabriel Attal to remain prime minister for the time being in order to ensure the country's stability," Mr Macron's office said in a statement.
The NFP has no single leader and, with an estimated 182 MPs, is far short of the 289 threshold needed for an absolute majority.
No other group has a majority either. Mr Macron's centrists came second and the RN third, leaving parliament split in three groups.
"The President of the Republic must call on us to run the government, to respect the outcome of the election," Manuel Bompard, of the hard left France Unbowed said before a meeting with the Socialists, Greens and Communists to decide on what strategy the NFP would take.
For Ms Le Pen's RN, the result was a disappointment as opinion polls had for weeks projected it would win, RN politician Laurent Jacobelli told Reuters, even if they increased their number of MPs by more than 50 to 143.
RN leader Jordan Bardella acknowledged that the party had made mistakes, including on the choice of some of its candidates, but assured that Sunday's ballot had sown the seeds for future victory for the far right.
A fragmented parliament will make it hard for anyone to push through a domestic agenda and is likely to weaken France's role in the European Union and further afield.
The left won 182 seats, Mr Macron's centrist alliance 168 and Ms Le Pen's National Rally (RN) and allies 143, Interior Ministry data cited by Le Monde newspaper showed. Other media had slightly different counts, and final numbers will depend partly on individual MPs joining different groupings.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin was seen entering the Elysee presidential palace shortly after Mr Attal, suggesting the president was canvassing opinions from his allies about what to do next.
Read more: What lies ahead for France after unique election outcome?
"The most immediate risk is a financial crisis and France's economic decline," said the current finance minister, Bruno Le Maire.
Despite the uncertainty, some voters were happy with a three-way parliament.
"I think it's great to have a diverse assembly like this, with roughly equal groupings. They will have to get along," Valerie, who works in luxury, said in Paris.
But Jean-Eudes du Mesnil, of the CPME small and medium businesses union, was "worried because a number of things have been announced, notably by the Popular Front platform".
"We'll see whether they're applied or not, but there are certain measures that are simply unthinkable," he said, including among these a big increase in the minimum wage.
There appeared to be no consensus on the left on key questions such as whether the bloc should seek support from other forces such as Mr Macron's centrists.
Olivier Faure, the Socialist leader, told France Info radio he expected the parties to agree on a plan this week, but sidestepped a question on whether the NFP would be prepared to negotiate a deal with Mr Macron's camp.
France Unbowed's divisive firebrand leader Jean-Luc Melenchon has ruled out any deal with centrists.
But the left-wing bloc, whose main proposals include reversing Mr Macron's pension reform and capping prices of key goods, will need some kind of agreement with politicians from outside the bloc if they are to govern.
Ms Le Pen, who will likely be the party's candidate for the 2027 presidential election, said however that yesterday's ballot, in which the RN increased its share of the vote compared with previous elections, had sown the seeds for future victory.
"Our victory has been merely delayed," she said.
As darkness fell yesterday, the statue of Marianne in Place de la Republique was lit up by fireworks amid celebrations by left-wing supporters.
Marianne is a national symbol of France, representing reason, liberty and the ideals of the republic.
