French President Emmanuel Macron will attend a press conference with German Prime Minister Olav Schorz (not shown) at the Prime Minister’s Office in Berlin, Germany, on May 9, 2022.
Lisi Niesner | Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron lost control of parliament in the legislative elections on Sunday. This is a major setback that could put the country in political paralysis if it cannot form an alliance with other political parties.
Macron’s ensemble of middle-aged politicians, who want to raise their retirement age and further deepen EU integration, will win the most seats in Sunday’s elections.
But they will not be enough for the absolute majority needed to control Congress, near-final results show.
The broad Left Alliance was set to be the largest opposition group, the far right scored record highs, and the conservatives could become kingmakers.
Treasury Minister Bruno Le Mer called this result a “democratic shock,” adding that, without the cooperation of other blocks, “this would hinder our ability to reform and protect France.” rice field.
The hung parliament will require some degree of power sharing and compromise between political parties that have never experienced in France in decades.
There is no fixed script in France about how things unfold. It was in 1988 that the newly elected president failed to win a full majority in parliamentary elections.
“The results are a risk to our country given the challenges we must face,” said Elizabeth Borne, adding that Macron’s camp will work to seek an alliance from Monday onwards. ..
If the legislature’s impasse continues, Macron can eventually call for a sudden election.
“The presidential rout is complete and no clear majority is visible,” left-wing veteran Jean-Luc Melenceon told the cheering squad.
The liberation of the left wing called the result a “slap” for Macron, and the economic daily report Les Echos called it an “earthquake.”
alliance?
Uniting behind the merension, left-wing parties have been seen on the course to triple their score since the last legislative election in 2017.
As another important change in French politics, the far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s National Coalition Party could initially record a 10-fold increase in MPs with 90-95 seats. The forecast shows. It will be the largest representative of the party in parliament’s history.
Pollsters Ifop, OpinionWay, Elabo, and Ipsos first predict that the Macron Ensemble Alliance will have 230-250 seats, the Left-wing Nupes Alliance will have 141-175 seats, and the Republicans will have 60-75 seats. Obtained.
Macron became President of France in April, winning his second term for the first time in 20 years, as voters gathered to protect the far right from power.
But seemingly untouched by many voters, he presides over a deeply disillusioned and divided country with a surge in support for the left and right populist parties.
His ability to pursue further reforms of the second-largest economy in the euro area depends on gaining support for his policies from moderates outside the left and right alliances.
Moderate?
Macron and his allies must decide whether to seek an alliance with the conservative Republican Party, which came in fourth, or to run a minority government that has to negotiate bills with other parties on a case-by-case basis. It will not be.
Government spokesman Olivia Grégoire said, “There are moderates on the bench, on the right and on the left. There are moderate socialists, and perhaps legislatively, people on our side are on the right.” ..
The Les Republicains platform is more compatible with Ensemble than any other party. Together, the two can make up the absolute majority in the final result. This requires at least 289 seats in the House of Representatives.
Republican leader Christian Jacob said his party remained opposition but “constructive,” suggesting a case-by-case deal rather than a coalition agreement.
Former Speaker of the House Richard Ferrand and Health Minister Brigitte Bourguignon lost their seats in two major defeats of the Macron camp.
Macron has called for a powerful mission during a fierce campaign against the backdrop of the war on the eastern tip of Europe, which tightened food and energy supplies, surged inflation and eroded households.
Melenceon’s Nupes Alliance has campaigned to freeze prices for essentials, lower retirement ages, limit inheritance, and ban companies that pay dividends from dismissed workers. Melenceon also seeks disobedience to the European Union.
