Macron’s center-right group will have to seek support, especially from the traditional right, and it will come at a price, writes Annastiina Heikkilä, ‘s Paris journalist.
PARIS The result of the French parliamentary elections is the president Emmanuel Macronille big disappointment. According to the final results, the Macron faction is about to get 245 seats in the National Assembly, when an absolute majority would have demanded at least 289 representatives.
The presidential center-right coalition of the President clearly lost its absolute majority in the end, which is exceptional in France. In general, the French have voted for a solid majority for the president in the parliamentary elections soon after the presidential election. Now it turned out differently.
Tired of the upsurge in everyday life and Macron’s politics, the French chose an explosive combination of the far right and the diverse left in Parliament. At the same time, the balance of power in Parliament was fragmenting in every direction, predicting a very difficult start for Macron.
Radical leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon sought the post of prime minister, but in the end it remained a dream. However, according to preliminary results, the new left-wing coalition La Nupes, which he founded, won 149 seats in parliament. Mélenchon disagrees with Macron on almost everything and now gets to lead a strong opposition group.
There is big controversy ahead, at least about the retirement age that Macron would like to raise and Mélencho’s to lower. The protest mood will certainly be witnessed both in Parliament and on the streets of Paris.
However, the biggest surprise on election night was Marine Le Pen, whose far – right National Alliance seemed to even increase its seats tenfold. Preliminary results promised the party 85 seats. That would be the best result in the history of the French far right and would clearly be enough to set up your own parliamentary group.
It is pointless for Macron to expect support for his performances from groups from Le Pen or Mélenchon. He will have to look for the necessary votes from the traditional right – and it will come at a price.
Macron will have to shift the focus of its policy more clearly to the right and make a variety of concessions.
Macron is likely to continue as prime minister in May Élisabeth Borne. The former social minister with a socialist background is a hard bone but in a difficult place. He hardly has any envy at the moment.
Macron rules France, but as a weaker president. Macron’s policies threaten to water down and French decision-making to become more complicated, which is not really good news for the rest of Europe either.