Among the friends ofEmmanuel Macron, there is one that occupies a unique place. Because he accompanies him from the first hours of his political adventure, because he has the experience and the character which offer freedom of speech, Philippe Grangeon is one of those whose opinion counts double for the president of the Republic. Coming from the left, former advisor to Nicole Notat at the CFDT, Grangeon has long ensured that the barycenter of Macronism does not lean too far to the right but is indeed one “at the same time”. Imposing a duty of reserve since his departure from the Elysée in 2020, anxious not to burden the Head of State, he speaks today to demand that the majority give, “without arguing”, clear instructions to “avoid the worst”.
“For clear voting instructions in the second round of the legislative elections”
Whether or not we understand the decision of the President of the Republic to dissolve the National Assembly, all of the country’s political forces, but also the vast majority of French people, have the feeling that they are experiencing, stunned and worried, a decisive moment. , a historic moment, where the destiny and future of our country are undoubtedly at stake at the ballot boxes.
This Sunday, June 30, during the first round of the legislative elections, the French will have the opportunity to choose between three main projects for the country. They will be able to vote for the presidential majority, which is the political family to which I am proud to belong. This central bloc, which has governed the country for seven years, is today presenting itself to the voters with a sometimes contrasting but nevertheless robust record in many areas, particularly in economic matters and with an exemplary European commitment.
The French will also be able to choose the union of the left, named for the occasion the New Popular Front. It must be recognized that this coalition, shaky on the programmatic level and within which many disagreements on fundamental subjects persist, was formed in an emergency, in order to face the danger of the extreme right.
Voters will finally have the choice to vote for the National Rally and its new allies. The National Rally is not a political force like the others. Behind the mask of normalization and trivialization, its identity, doctrine and values have not changed. They are part of the historical path of the French extreme right.
The lucid and responsible observation of the balance of political power leads today, on the basis of the results of the European elections, to fear the worst, with the prospect of an absolute, if not relative, majority obtained by the extreme right on July 7. Clearly, the National Rally, with its well-known or lesser-known leaders, could govern our country. This victory would have incalculable consequences, both nationally and internationally. The victory of the National Rally would be a catastrophic signal sent by France to Europe and the world. This victory, above all, would inoculate a slow poison into the social body of our Republic, which would damage our fundamental values, liberty, equality and fraternity.
“This ambiguous political choice could indeed, in the current dynamic, favor the National Rally’s accession to power.”
Rarely has a second round of legislative elections had such great stakes for the country.
The Republic is today in danger. The voting instructions that will be given to voters must be as clear as possible: do everything possible to limit the number of elected representatives of the National Rally as much as possible. And I want to alert my political family against the perilous temptation of “neither-nor” (neither RN, nor LFI). This ambiguous political choice could indeed, in the current dynamic, favor the accession of the National Rally to power. Placing the far right and La France Insoumise, which is only part of the New Popular Front coalition, on an equal footing is dangerous. While the far right is today at the gates of power, it is highly unlikely that La France Insoumise will govern the country in a few days. This group, whose radical ideas I in no way share, the anti-Semitic excesses of certain leaders and the permanent excess, belongs to a coalition made up of socialists, ecologists and communists, the vast majority of whose political leaders are respectable women and men.
“When they appear in triangulars where their retention could have the consequence of making the far-right candidate win, they will have to withdraw”
This is why and without arguing, if we want to give ourselves every chance of avoiding the worst, the majority must give clear instructions. In cases where its candidates are not qualified for the second round, they will have to call to vote for the candidates who will oppose the National Rally. When they appear in triangulars where their retention could have the consequence of helping the far-right candidate win, they will have to withdraw. This voting instruction, which brings together all Republicans, is resolutely in line with the logic of overcoming which was the promise of victory in the 2017 presidential election. And let us also remember that on two occasions, in 2017 and in 2022, all Republican political forces called to vote in favor of Emmanuel Macron or to block Marine Le Pen.
In the unfortunately likely event that the presidential majority does not regain an absolute majority allowing it to be returned to power, one can easily imagine two scenarios.
The worst-case scenario: the far right obtains an absolute majority in the National Assembly, leading us into a cohabitation and a Republic in great tension. The opposition political forces will then have to dialogue and reach an agreement when possible, in the National Assembly and elsewhere, in order to oppose and build an alternative to a project of ostracism, which is economically ruinous and profoundly anti-European.
There is another scenario, with none of the three blocs in a position to win outright on July 7. It would then be possible and desirable to form a coalition of women and men of good will to govern the country. But this hypothesis is based on an imperative condition: that the presidential majority clearly indicates to its voters that the main political opponent in the second round is the National Rally and the far right. To build this dike in the second round, the position of the majority will naturally have to lead to reciprocity with the other political forces in the Republican camp.
In these historic and serious times and at a time when the President of the Republic is calling for clarification, the presidential majority must demonstrate consistency and clearly designate its main adversary. The future of our Republic is at stake.
Philippe Grangeon is a co-founder of En Marche, of which he was the general delegate. He was also a special advisor to the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron between 2019 and 2020.
.