- Dec 20, 2003
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Macron called an election in France (30th June - 7th July) after being soundly defeated by the populist right in the European elections. Most commentators are a little bemused and confused as to his reasoning on this as it is unlikely that his centrist party will benefit much and it is very likely that the hard right will grow their presence instead. At the moment he cannot get anything through the French parliament and it is unlikely that he will be able to afterward either. Current poling indicates that the hard left and hard right will dominate the new parliament with Macron's alliance of centrist parties marginalized.
www.bbc.com
1) Is this the end of the Fifth French Republic - its institutions and old party structures shattered beyond repair and a new extremist debate between commies and fascists now takes its place. Is the new reality a sclerotic economy married to unrealistic expectations and political paralysis regarding wise decision-making and action plans?
2) What will this mean for Europe? With the shift to the right in European electorates in all the large EU countries of Germany, Italy and France the dissatisfaction with the European project is being openly expressed. This at a time when external issues and threats e.g. Ukraine, Chinese trade policy, and the scramble for energy sources are threatening the peace and prosperity of Europe.
3) Is this a passing phase in French politics that France just needs to work through its system or something more sinister? Maybe this question contradicts number one. But the only way that Macron's strategy makes any sense is with a view to the longer term. If the French elect the extreme parties now while there is still a moderate president in charge will they be heartedly sick of the paralysis and infighting in parliament by the time the presidential elections come along? If so could this be a preamble to a big shift to the center then? Let the extremists kill each other in a divided parliament and then swoop in to save the day when it matters is the strategy here.
French elections: How do they work and why are they so significant?
The far right could win parliamentary elections called by President Macron on 30 June and 7 July.
www.bbc.com
1) Is this the end of the Fifth French Republic - its institutions and old party structures shattered beyond repair and a new extremist debate between commies and fascists now takes its place. Is the new reality a sclerotic economy married to unrealistic expectations and political paralysis regarding wise decision-making and action plans?
2) What will this mean for Europe? With the shift to the right in European electorates in all the large EU countries of Germany, Italy and France the dissatisfaction with the European project is being openly expressed. This at a time when external issues and threats e.g. Ukraine, Chinese trade policy, and the scramble for energy sources are threatening the peace and prosperity of Europe.
3) Is this a passing phase in French politics that France just needs to work through its system or something more sinister? Maybe this question contradicts number one. But the only way that Macron's strategy makes any sense is with a view to the longer term. If the French elect the extreme parties now while there is still a moderate president in charge will they be heartedly sick of the paralysis and infighting in parliament by the time the presidential elections come along? If so could this be a preamble to a big shift to the center then? Let the extremists kill each other in a divided parliament and then swoop in to save the day when it matters is the strategy here.
