2022 legislative elections: from «political crisis» to «true Renaissance»

The vast majority of the media portrayed the result of the 2022 legislative elections in France as a defeat for re-elected President Emmanuel Macron, deprived of an absolute majority in parliament. But it's on the interpretation of what this situation means for the quinquennium that analyses diverge. Here's a selection.

Following the second round of the legislative elections on June 19, the president’s “Ensemble!” alliance won 245 seats, the left-wing NUPES coalition won 137 seats, and the RN won 89 seats. While it should first be noted that the president’s party fell far short of the absolute majority it had enjoyed for five years and sought to maintain, all observers agree that the major development of this second round of the legislative elections was the historic and unexpected breakthrough by Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (which won roughly fifteen times as many seats as it did five years ago). Jean-Luc Mélenchon, for his part, failed to make his left-wing alliance—NUPES—the country’s leading opposition force.

Read also | Presidential election: France's three political poles and the useful vote

Le Figaro sees this reconfiguration of parliament as nothing more and nothing less than ’an internal political crisis.«. Release Instead, it welcomes a «true renaissance of French-style parliamentarianism, with its heated debates, backroom deals, and late-night compromises.» The two media outlets, though ideologically opposed, are in agreement, however, in their harsh judgment of Emmanuel Macron, who did not even campaign. A columnist for the World goes so far as to link this «highly politicized National Assembly» to the president’s «depoliticization of the campaign.» The Tribune de Genève, who predicts «heated but fascinating» debates, makes the same point by pointing out the head of state’s «sin of pride.».

Is France Impossible to Govern?

Still in Switzerland, watson does not hesitate to describe the new assembly as «in disarray and virtually ungovernable.» Unless… «those who claim to be the elected representatives of a suffering France can speak in a way other than that of demagogues.» This has nothing to do with the Sunday Newspaper who, for his part, prefers to wonder whether it might not be the President who is incapable of governing, rather than the country being ungovernable:

«To pass the pension reform, a majority exists: the alliance between Renaissance and LR. On the issue of purchasing power, an agreement may take shape with elected officials from the »realistic left’ and the ‘social right.’ To achieve this balance, we must discuss, listen, compromise, make concessions at times, and often step aside. A daunting challenge when you’ve called yourself Jupiter.”

One thing is certain: France must now learn to adopt a more Swiss-style parliamentary system. This is a challenge—within the framework of semi-direct democracy—that is just as difficult as it would be to implement a more genuine form of direct democracy in France. This Saturday, Emmanuel Macron announced that he was keeping Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne in office and tasking her with forming a new «government of action» by July. He also pledged to build a «coalition» or reach «agreements» with the other parties (except the far left and the far right) on key issues. It would take a very clever person to say—or claim to know—what kind of future the country is heading toward.

Write to the author: jonas.follonier@leregardlibre.com

Image: © YouTube screenshot

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