Press
French President Emmanuel Macron wants to stop the shift to the right by holding new elections. But even his closest confidants seem to have doubts.
Paris – France’s political centre has been shaken by the electoral success of Marine Le Pen’s right-wing Rassemblement National in the EUelections (31.4 percent). President Emmanuel Macron In response to the poor performance of the centre parties, he dissolved parliament and announced new elections. But there is also grumbling in Macron’s inner circle.
Many see this step as very risky. A possible electoral victory for the right-wing populists is also being viewed critically by the financial world and international rating agencies. The development, coupled with the seriousness of the budget situation, could have long-term effects on France’s creditworthiness – the rating agency S&P Global has already downgraded the country.
Finance Minister Le Maire with gloomy forecast for France’s future
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said during a campaign stop in northern France The Figaro even that “the country is going to the dogs”. On French radio, he said about the dissolution of parliament that this decision “has caused fear, misunderstanding and sometimes anger everywhere in our country, among the French people.” According to the magazine politics This is surprising, given that Le Maire is considered a supporter of the president and only a few weeks ago was considered Macron’s candidate for the position of all-powerful EU economic commissioner to push forward the country’s industrial agenda in Brussels.
The finance minister’s gloomy forecast will also influence the growing question of who will fill the huge vacuum in the political center when Macron’s presidency ends in 2027. He himself cannot run again. The new parliamentary elections distract Macron’s allies from preparing for the duel with far-right opponent Marine Le Pen in the next presidential election in 2027.
Prime Minister Attal is considered a promising successor to Macron
Several coalition partners, including Prime Minister Gabriel Attalformer Prime Minister Édouard Philippe and Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, have their eyes on his office. What the political center will inherit from Macron, however, is up in the air. Macron is risking the political careers of those around him with his move. “The race for succession has really started, but while the goal was to rule over a palace, it is now about inheriting a shed,” said Benjamin Morel, political scientist at the Panthéon-Assas University in Paris. politics.
Topping the list of those whose ambitions have been jeopardised is Attal. The young prime minister has clearly taken a hit. After avoiding the public for 24 hours, Attal resurfaced last Tuesday to denounce Macron’s decision as “sudden” and “brutal”. Despite his obvious dismay at the decision to dissolve parliament, he later insisted: “Now is not the time for concerns.”
Political centre around Macron crumbles, former Prime Minister Philippe rushes forward
According to political scientist Morel, loyalty is crumbling with Macron at the centre. “The French president’s coalition is rapidly disintegrating and the coalition partners are dissolving,” he said. Philippe, who was prime minister from 2017 to 2020, is running for the first time as an independent party in the upcoming parliamentary elections with the “Horizons” faction.
Although Philippe, who remains popular for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, has avoided national politics for the past four years, he risks fatal damage if voters turn against Macron’s camp. President Macron himself recently noted that the center is once again in danger of becoming a place where politicians die. “With fewer lawmakers and networks, a centrist candidate will struggle to capture the presidency.”
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