Costly gambles: On French President Macron and his politics
The HinduWhen France’s President, Emmanuel Macron, called a snap legislative election in June, he had two political objectives: secure a new mandate for his centrist coalition and arrest the surge of the far-right National Rally, which had just finished first in the European elections. Even if Mr. Macron’s coalition, Ensemble, which finished second in the elections, and the Republicans come together, they do not have a majority to pass bills in Parliament. This would mean that Mr. Bayrou’s government would be at the mercy of Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally, as Mr. Barnier’s government was, for survival. While the far-right and the left are trying to mobilise the working population from different political platforms, Mr. Macron is trying to preserve the status quo using his presidential powers.