Will President Emmanuel Macron resign after surprising results? – Firstpost

It’s a “yes” for the left and a “no” for the right. But for French President Emmanuel Macron, it’s a huge question mark. The second round of elections in France created a huge surprise: the left-wing alliance became the leading force in the French parliament and pushed Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) into third place.

The surprising results of the legislative elections show that the left-wing coalition, the New Popular Front, won 182 seats, followed by President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance, Ensemble, with 163 seats, and the far-right in third place with 143 seats. But despite this victory, the left-wing coalition is more than 100 seats away from an absolute majority, which upends the country’s political future.

The results also cast doubt on Macron’s presidency, with some wondering whether he will resign. In fact, the left-wing newspaper Release correctly titled the results “C’est Ouf,” which means “It’s crazy.”

What happened at the polls?

On Sunday, jubilant crowds gathered in eastern Paris to celebrate the defeat of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN). In a dramatic turn of events, the far-right went from first to third place in the second round of the elections.

Meanwhile, Macron’s centrists came in second in the polls while the New Popular Front (NPF) won a surprise victory.

The result led Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to announce he would offer his resignation to Macron, but also made clear he was prepared to stay on in an interim capacity as weeks of political and financial uncertainty loom.

Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure, who is part of the NFP coalition, said they would choose a candidate to replace Attal “either by consensus or by vote” this week, but the choice will be difficult.

Why are results an issue for Macron?

Many commentators have said that the election results foreshadow trouble for Macron. But what is the reality?

In France, if the president chooses the prime minister, the appointment must be made according to the political composition of the National Assembly. This means that the president must choose the candidate of the largest party or coalition. Currently, this means that he will have to choose someone from the left-wing NFP.

This means that President Macron and the prime minister will come from different political parties and will have opposing views on how the country should be governed. Known as cohabitation in France, such a situation has occurred several times, most recently when socialist Lionel Jospin was prime minister under right-wing President Jacques Chirac.

In 2000, France saw the adoption of many major reforms, including those that the president opposed. For example, Jospin pushed through a reform to reduce working hours from 39 to 35 hours per week under Chirac.

Under these circumstances, Macron, whose mandate runs until 2027, could choose to resign in the face of a political impasse.

Macron has, however, categorically stated that he would not resign “whatever the result”. And on Monday (July 8), the Elysée issued a statement saying that Macron would “wait” to make decisions regarding the new government.

“As guarantor of our institutions, the President of the Republic will ensure that the sovereign choice of the French people is respected,” the Elysée said. “In the republican tradition, he will wait for the structuring of the new National Assembly before taking the necessary decisions,” he added, stressing that Macron is carefully taking into account the evolution of the results.

But the buzz around Macron’s resignation has gained momentum, with some of his advisers warning against such a situation. One cabinet member was quoted as saying: “In seven years, I have had the opportunity to spend hours with (Mr Macron). One day he can make a promise to your face, and the next day do the complete opposite. Completely the opposite.”

“So when he says: I will never leave, I have doubts,” the MP said. The Parisian.

Read also: In France, the left beats the far right but no one has a majority: what’s next?

What’s next for France?

With none of the blocs having obtained a majority of at least 289 seats out of 577, France finds itself facing a parliament without an absolute majority, a situation that modern France has never known.

Macron could seek a deal with the moderate left to create a joint government. AP According to some reports, such negotiations, if they take place, are likely to be very difficult because France has no tradition of such arrangements.

Macron has, however, ruled out collaborating with La France Insoumise, the far-left party led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon. On the other hand, the 46-year-old indicated that he could reach out to the socialists and the environmentalists.

François Bayrou, a long-time ally of Macron, was quoted by The Guardian as if “the era of the absolute majority was over” and that it would be up to “everyone to sit down at a table and assume their responsibilities.”

In any case, it is clear that France is heading for a long period of uncertainty and political instability. “France has today rejected the power of the far right,” said Mujtaba Rahman of the Eurasia Group consultancy. “But the results suggest stalemate and paralysis, even though the left has exceeded expectations while the far right has fallen far short of expectations.”

And this uncertainty comes at the worst possible time for France: the Paris Olympics are scheduled for July 26. Pierre Rabadan, a senior official in charge of planning the Games, said: The Financial Times that even though major strategic decisions had already been taken, this decision raises “pragmatic and operational questions”, in particular the deployment of the mayor’s staff and the municipal police for the Games.

With contributions from agencies