On June 9, French President Emmanuel Macron took France by surprise. He dissolved the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, sending the French to the ballot boxes for snap parliamentary elections. After his party's poor showing in the first round of voting, the president could find himself in a scenario known as "cohabitation", where the president and prime minister come from different parties. France has known three periods of cohabitation since the start of the Fifth Republic in 1958. From arm wrestling to compromise, what lessons can be drawn from the past? FRANCE 24's Sonia Baritello and Claire Paccalin take a closer look in this edition of France in Focus.

Special thanks to Agathe Le Mouroux, hôtel Mercure Paris Tour Eiffel Pont Mirabeau

Le Littré Hotel