French President Emmanuel Macron suffered a political defeat in the second round of parliamentary elections on Sunday after losing an absolute majority in the National Assembly, in which his ability to rule came to a head after an election in which the far right and left won. Will complicate. Development
According to preliminary polling station forecasts, the “Together” coalition led by the president won between 200 and 260 seats, gaining a relative majority that could not rule alone. Knowing that the absolute majority is 289 representatives (out of 577 representatives).
In turn, the New People’s Environmental and Social Union, led by Jean-Luc Melenchon, won 150 to 200 seats, making it the largest opposition bloc in the National Assembly.
According to the same sources, the far-right National Rally party led by Marine Le Pen won between 60 and 100 seats, which represents a great progress.
In the first statement of the President’s camp, Minister Gabriel Atal acknowledged that the results were “far from what we had hoped for, which paints an unprecedented situation in political and parliamentary life, forcing us to “Let’s go beyond our gaps.” Finance Minister Bruno Lumer described the result as a “democratic shock”.
Melanchon considered Sunday evening that the Macron coalition was losing the absolute majority “most of all the electoral defeat” of the French president. The leftist leader added: “This is a completely unexpected and completely unprecedented situation. The defeat of the presidential party is complete and there is no majority.”
Jordan Bardella, leader of the right-wing National Rally party, called the election result a “political tsunami”: “The lesson tonight is that the French people have made Emmanuel Macron a minority president.”
The party increased its number of seats 15 times after its leader, Le Pen, reached the decisive round of the last presidential election and was re-elected to parliament on Sunday, allowing him to form a bloc for the party. For the first time in over 35 years
Le Pen proudly told supporters in his constituency north of the Henin-Beaumont constituency that the parliamentary bloc won by the national demonstration was “the largest bloc in the history of our political family.” He promised to use “firm opposition” and “responsible and respectful” institutions.
In the case of the traditional right, it won about 60 seats and could play a decisive role in the new parliament, although it lost its position as the largest opposition faction in parliament.
If expectations are met, Macron, who was re-elected for a second term in April, will have to find alliances to implement his reform agenda over the next five years.
Macron’s ministers and aides have acknowledged this and said they should now contact political figures outside their alliance to run the country.
The results are likely to damage the country’s political stability. In a statement to AFP, political expert Alain Duhamel expected any vote on a bill to be “open to the unknown” because there was no absolute majority.
The election concludes a lengthy election campaign that confirms the sweeping reorganization of the political scene in France around the three major blocs at the expense of traditional right-wing and left-wing parties, a move that began with Macron being elected president in 2018. 2017 quoted by “AFP”.
Reuters says the election results pave the way for a period of political uncertainty that requires some degree of power-sharing or political paralysis and possibly re-election.
Republican Conservative Rachida Dati called the result a “bitter defeat” for Macron and said he should appoint a new prime minister.
If the results are confirmed, Macron and his allies will either have to ally with the Republicans or run a minority government that will have to negotiate laws with other parties on a case-by-case basis.
But there is no specific text in France that specifies what to do. Macron’s ability to pursue reforms in the eurozone’s second-largest economy depends on his ability to mobilize moderates outside his right-wing coalition.
“There are moderates in the seats and on the right and left. There are moderate socialists and people on the right who may be with us in law,” said government spokeswoman Olivia Gregoire.
As a result, the Republican Party and its allies could win up to 100 seats and potentially make them “king-makers” because they know that their attitude is more in line with that of Macron than any other group.
The New York Times says Macron’s failure to win an absolute majority will not stop him from pursuing his domestic agenda, but will return power to parliament.
The results, he said, were a rebuke to the French president, who appeared to be “separating” from the campaign and more involved in France’s diplomatic efforts to support Ukraine in its war with Russia.
Source: Lebanon Debate
