French Cabinet resigns after legislative vote

Paris: France’s Socialist government has officially resigned, in keeping with tradition after legislative elections. President Francois Hollande’s office said on Monday that he immediately re-appointed Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and asked him to form a new government — which was expected to be nearly identical to the outgoing cabinet. [caption id=“attachment_347750” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“AP”]  [/caption] The procedural step came as the Socialists vaulted to dominance in the 577-seat National Assembly in Sunday’s elections for the National Assembly. It gives Hollande — who was elected last month — the legislative free hand he needs to push forward with his leftist reform program. Conservative allies of former President Nicolas Sarkozy were the election’s biggest losers. The anti-immigration National Front won two seats — its best showing in the Assembly since the late 1980s — though its leader Marine Le Pen narrowly lost her bid to win a swept. AP