After victory in the European elections, France’s right-wing populist National Rally (RN) wants to court other right-wingers, including those from the far-right Reconquest party, for the early parliamentary elections called by President Emmanuel Macron.
“I am fully prepared to enter into discussions with personalities who do not come from the National Rally and who share the ambition to bring some of our ideas to power within a few weeks and – also in the context of a cohabitation – to initiate the reconstruction of the country. the country,” RN party leader Jordan Bardella said in Paris on Monday evening.
In France, cohabitation means that the president and the prime minister represent different political directions.
Bardella had his first meeting on Monday with Marion Maréchal, Reconquest’s leading candidate for the European elections.
“I wanted to talk to her and talk about our current efforts to form the broadest possible majority,” Bardella said, adding that his party wanted to participate in the parliamentary elections together with other right-wing parties as a national union with the aim of the takeover of the government and the office of Prime Minister.
No agreements have yet been made with Maréchal, he says: “At the moment it’s all about discussions.”
National Rally received 31.36% of the vote in the European elections, while Reconquest received 5.47%.
Maréchal is the niece of Marine Le Pen, the National Rally faction leader, and was active in her party before switching to the far-right rival party more than two years ago.
“It seems clear to me that the 1 million voters of Reconquest must participate in this momentum around the RN,” Maréchal said after an initial conversation with Bardella and her aunt.
National Rally would like to “work with those in Reconquest who have taken a constructive stance towards the RN.”
Reconquest leader Éric Zemmour, who is at odds with National Rally, could be an obstacle to a right-wing alliance. French media are also speculating about a return of Maréchal to National Rally.
France goes into election campaign mode
France quickly entered election campaign mode within 24 hours of the stunning National Rally election victory.
President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly, France’s lower house, on Sunday after the scale of the far-right victory became clear and scheduled parliamentary elections in a few weeks.
Several parties are planning their campaigns in response to the sudden election call.
Macron’s job as president is not at stake in the upcoming elections, as the next presidential election will not take place until 2027.
The government has been under pressure for a long time
His goal is to create a more stable majority in parliament for his remaining term in office. He will hope that citizens in France will not vote in the same way in the national elections as they did in the European Parliament elections, and that the early elections will break Le Pen’s momentum.
Although Macron plays a prominent role on the international stage, his government camp has been struggling at home for two years, as his faction has not had an absolute majority in the National Assembly.
This has forced his camp to maneuver in a contentious and combative legislative environment, often resorting to heavy-handed tactics and sidestepping votes to implement their plans.
The threat of a vote of no confidence this fall has been hanging over the government for some time, adding to the challenges of governing.
Consequences for Germany and Europe
Macron’s snap election call is a big gamble. If it fails, it could have serious consequences for Germany and Europe. Observers say the French president could lose significant influence, making it difficult for him to advance his foreign policy agenda.
France could find itself in a chaotic domestic political situation, endangering its reliability as an international partner.
However, if Macron succeeds in gaining a more stable majority, this would benefit international partners as he would no longer be concerned with suppressing domestic political unrest.
This marks the first dissolution of the French National Assembly in more than 25 years, an important step in France’s recent political history.
EU voting results as a catalyst for snap polls
National Rally won 31.36% of the European vote, according to provisional results announced by the Interior Ministry on Monday after all votes were counted.
Macron’s camp came in a distant second with 14.6%, followed by the Socialists with 13.83%.
The Eurosceptic National Rally – which until six years ago was called the National Front – has softened its image in recent years in an effort to broaden its appeal and strengthen Le Pen’s bid for the presidency.
