*Samer Majzoub
The “risky political move”
Following the gains made by the so-called French far right, led by Marine Le Pen, in the European Parliament elections, French President Emmanuel Macron pulled off a stunning political surprise by calling for early parliamentary elections. Many criticized the French president’s call for parliamentary elections and the dissolution of the National Assembly, which has 577 seats. This was especially true given the strong opinion polls that predicted a landslide victory for Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN).
First round outcomes causing a fear “flood”
The first round of voting produced a historic victory for the “extreme” far-right movement, which unleashed a wave of “fear” and acute anxiety that engulfed the political and media landscapes of France and Europe in particular, as well as the entire world. Columnists occupied themselves with analyzing the extent to which Marine Le Pen and her supporters in the National Rally (RN) could lead France and the implications this would have both locally and for the future of Western Europe in general. Most of these political commentators predicted bleak political futures, which would be particularly apparent in France, a country that has long grappled with social and economic problems.
Following the first round’s outcomes; an uncommon political environment and the potency of civil society
A surprisingly unique political situation began to take shape as the first round election results were announced and the anticipation of a political “earthquake” intensified. A number of political groups, including some that are fundamentally at odds with each other politically and ideologically, have called for concerted efforts and strategic electoral coalitions with the aim of preventing National Rally (RN) from winning enough seats in parliament to create a new government. In electoral districts where there is intense competition from far-right candidates, over 210 candidates from different political parties and currents withdrew. This was done to prevent the NR candidates from winning seats in the National Assembly through the split of votes.
In a dramatic manner seldom seen in political theater, this new development of the unexpected political alliances turned the equation upside down. Political parties being willing to drop their candidates in order to form an alliance is not a custom in the public sphere. Furthermore, something else that stood out in this context was the candidates’ willingness to step down in favor of others from different political backgrounds, which is difficult given that some may have wanted to be in the forefront for a variety of reasons.
For its part, the civil society quickly and uniquely mobilized the voters through a popular movement and mass mobilization, calling on the French people to vote and defend the “values of the Republic” against what they described as “extremism.”
The election results from the second round were favourable
Even the most astute and knowledgeable political analysts were taken aback by the results of the second round of elections, which saw the left-wing NFP alliance emerge as the largest force in the French parliament without securing the parliamentary majority necessary to form a government on its own. The far-right fared poorly in the election. Instead, in the second round, the RN dropped from first place to third place just one week ago. The fact that President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance, often referred to as the “center-right,” came in second place despite predictions of a significant defeat also attracted a lot of attention.
The “populist” policies and the new political environment;
The visibility of policies labeled as “populist” in the public domain is nothing new in French political discourse. Even though they may be more “aggressive” in general, the extreme far right is not the only group following this trend. Long-standing populist and Islamophobic policies have been visible in the political sphere, justifying discrimination against large segments of French society, particularly women, under a variety of pretexts.
A new picture has been drawn that will take some time to shape new policies, if any, with the “political mixture” that was produced by the election results: the Center-right, the Gaullists, the Leftist Alliance with all of its trends, and others.
What comes next
The unexpected election results will undoubtedly have an impact beyond national boundaries, even in terms of morality. In Quebec, for instance, some people may have been “hopping” on Le Pen’s win because they believed it would influence the political and social climate in the province.
Moreover, the French elections coincide with the Conservative Party’s recent crushing defeat in Britain, exacerbating the unfavourable perception of the Conservative brand in the West for the time being.
Furthermore, due to the fact that no political party was able to secure a comfortable majority, coalitions between parties that differ politically, intellectually, and economically are necessary for government. France will experience a temporary political crisis as a result of this.
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