France's right-wing opposition has secured a majority in the Senate elections, dealing another blow to President Emmanuel Macron's ruling party. The Senate, unlike the lower house National Assembly, is elected by around 150,000 voters known as grands electeurs, reflecting the results of local elections where Macron's Renaissance party has consistently performed poorly. With 170 of the 348 seats up for grabs, the Republicans are expected to remain the largest faction, followed by the Socialists.

While the Senate lacks the power of the National Assembly, it can still cause problems for the government if uncooperative. Macron's party has faced setbacks recently, losing its overall majority in the National Assembly and seeing controversial laws passed without a vote. In a major embarrassment, Sonia Backes, the state secretary for citizen issues, lost her seat to a pro-independence candidate. The far-right National Rally also secured three seats in the Senate. Overall, the election results indicate that the balance of power between Macron and parliament will not shift significantly.