In his characteristic manner, invoking echoes of Charles de Gaulle, Emmanuel Macron vowed that being French means stepping up when the times demand it. He said it involved understanding the significance of one’s vote and the taste of freedom, and acting responsibly regardless of the circumstances, thereby shaping history instead of being ensnared by it. He declared the time for such action to be present.
A good number of his fellow countrymen, it seems, beg to differ. Macron, adopting his usual risk-taking stance, looks set to pass on the prime ministerial duties to the far-right party, Rassemblement National (RN), after it thoroughly defeated Macron’s Renaissance party in the European elections. If RN can obtain a majority in parliament, Macron will have to share power with RN’s charismatic up-and-coming prime minister candidate, Jordan Bardella, in a cohabitation model.
There’s a danger that the extreme right is on the precipice of power, warned a deputy from the left. He called for unity among the left during the surprisingly swift three-week campaign. Four principal left-wing political factions – the Communist Party, the Socialist Party, the Greens, and France Unbowed, connected to Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a three-time presidential nominee – have rekindled the left’s “united front” tradition and pledged collective candidates.
Partial votes from election day indicated that nearly half of the voters wished primarily to express their displeasure with Macron and his governance. And the outlook isn’t likely to improve, with the opposition predicted to win a no-confidence vote over spending cuts amounting to 25 billion euros in the autumn. It appears that only Macron believes he can outsmart what he perceives as the electorate’s bluff. He thinks that when faced with the genuine possibility of RN governing, citizens will see reason.
However, early indications suggest that the Renaissance, despite doing its utmost to separate itself from Macron during its campaign, might face another defeat. There’s a significant chance the party could fall to third place, trailing the far-right and the left parties.
Within the centre-right, contrary to any readiness to buy into Macron’s vision of a composite republican front against RN, he has incited a profound division within the party that draws its legacy from Gaullism, Les Républicains (LR).
Shocked members and seniors like ex-EU commissioner Michel Barnier of the LR have called for the stepping down of their party head, Eric Ciotti, following his bold suggestion to align with RN. Ciotti’s move, which has infringed upon a previously steadfast quarantine, disallowing political collaboration or coalitions with the far-right, signifies a notable change in France’s political environment. It also illuminates the lengthy, albeit hitherto impeded, journey of the far-right party, under the guidance of leader Marine Le Pen, towards political dignity. As for Macron, his risk-taking can be compared to playing Russian roulette.