Editorial: Fractured verdict in France

Though there is a sense of relief across Europe over the National Rally being kept out of power, political instability is bound to haunt the new government.

If the objective of the snap poll gambit of French President Emmanuel Macron was to halt the march of the far-right National Rally, then it has met with partial success. The parliament election in France has thrown up a fractured mandate, contrary to the widespread media predictions of a landslide victory for Marine Le Pen’s National Rally after its stupendous showing in the European union elections. The risky early-election strategy of Macron, the centrist and pro-market leader, has yielded a mixed result. While it helped in stopping the National Rally in its tracks, an unintended consequence is that none of the other parties got the required numbers to form a stable government. Macron will have to navigate a political minefield in the months to come in view of the hung verdict. The New Popular Front (NFP) — a hastily-formed alliance of Left, Socialists and Green parties after the first round of voting last week — emerged as the surprising frontrunner with 182 seats in the 577-strong Assembly while Macron’s centrists — the Ensemble Alliance — has staged an unexpected comeback with 163 seats, pushing the National Rally (RN) into third position with 143 seats. The significance of this mandate is that the parties of various hues came together at the last minute for a common cause of keeping the National Rally at bay.

Providing a stable coalition is a major challenge before the NFP which is riddled with internal contradictions among the centrist, socialist, communist and radical left parties on a wide range of issues like religious identity and migrant rights. Though there is a sense of relief across Europe over the National Rally being kept out of power, political instability is bound to haunt the new government. None of the three powerful blocs in French politics is in a position to provide an outright majority of 289 in the 577-seat parliament without reaching out to either of the other two. Without enough support to survive a possible vote of no confidence, there is little chance of any left-wing government surviving for long on its own. The leader of France’s Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, has thrown his hat in the ring to be prime minister. The Macron camp, as much as the left, believes it too can find a way of forming a minority government. Instead of naming a new prime minister, the President asked outgoing Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to remain in office “for the time being” to ensure stability. Under the French convention, the president names a prime minister from the winning party. However, Sunday’s election has left the country in a political deadlock, with no obvious route to a government. Macron’s governance record so far has been mixed. He must now step up and learn the art of negotiations with those on the left and right who lean towards the centre.

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