https://www.usnews.com/news/wo...n-eu-vote-exit-polls

By Reuters | June 9, 2024, at 2:08 p.m.

By Michel Rose and Tassilo Hummel

PARIS (Reuters) -French President Emmanuel Macron rolled the dice on his political future on Sunday, calling snap legislative elections for later this month after he was trounced in the European Union vote by Marine Le Pen's far-right party.

Macron's shock decision set off a political earthquake in France, offering the far-right a shot at real political power after years on the sidelines and threatening to neuter his presidency three years before it ends.

If Le Pen's National Rally (RN) party wins a parliamentary majority, Macron would be left with little sway over domestic affairs.

Macron said the EU result was grim for his government, and one he could not ignore. In an address to the nation, less than two months before Paris hosts the Olympics, he said lower house elections would be called for June 30, with a second-round vote on July 7.

"This is an essential time for clarification," Macron said. "I have heard your message, your concerns and I will not leave them unanswered ... France needs a clear majority to act in serenity and harmony."

After Macron's announcement, a few hundred anti-far-right protesters gathered at Paris' Place de la Republique, waving flags for green and leftist groups and chanting against the RN.

Led by telegenic 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, the RN won about 32% of the vote in Sunday's vote, more than double the Macron ticket's 15%, according to exit polls. The Socialists came within a whisker of Macron, with 14%.

Le Pen, widely seen as the frontrunner for the 2027 election in which Macron is unable to stand, welcomed his decision.

"We are ready to take over power if the French give us their trust in the upcoming national elections," she said at a rally.

Macron's Renaissance party currently has 169 lower house lawmakers, out of a total of 577. The RN has 88.

If the RN wins a majority, Macron would still direct defence and foreign policy, but would lose the power to set the domestic agenda, from economic policy to security.

"Emmanuel Macron is a poker player, we've seen that tonight," said Green Party lawmaker Sandrine Rousseau.

UNCOMFORTABLE 'COHABITATION'

Teneo, a consultancy, said "Macron has called an election he might lose."

It said his ultimate "goal might be to bring an RN victory forward in time to expose the party's lack of experience in government and make them confront politically painful decisions ahead of the 2027 presidential election."

Olivier Blanchard, a former International Monetary Fund official who is now at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said Macron had made the best of a weak hand.

"Either the incoherence of the RN program becomes clear during the campaign and it loses the election. Or the RN wins, gets to govern and quickly makes a mess of it," he wrote on X.

Macron's gambit has echoes of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's move to call a snap national election last year after the far right thrashed his party in local government polls.

Sanchez managed to retain power but only after months of wrangling with regional parties and a controversial deal to offer an amnesty to Catalan separatists.

France has known so-called "cohabitation" periods before, when the president is from a different political party than the parliamentary majority. In such cases, the majority party's prime minister becomes France's top domestic decision-maker.

In the last such period, from 1997-2002, President Jacques Chirac played second fiddle to Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin.

The euro slipped to its lowest level in around a month in early trading in Asia, reflecting the uncertainty.

Macron's decision underlined what was a grim night for centrist parties across Europe, with Eurosceptic nationalists making the biggest gains in the European Parliament vote.

SUCCESSION BATTLE HEATS UP

Le Pen's strong electoral showing, notching a 10-point increase on her 2019 EU result, is likely to lure conservative rebels to the RN, a party with a clear sense of momentum.

On Sunday night, Le Pen's niece Marion Marechal, a political ally of Eric Zemmour and his far-right Reconquete party, said she was prepared to meet with her aunt to explore a pact.

"A right-wing coalition to me seems more necessary than ever," Marechal said.

Le Pen's ascent is also likely to turbocharge the centrist succession battle to replace Macron.

Several big names - including Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, the current one, Gabriel Attal, and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire - are all eager to take the top job, political sources say.

"We'll have to do some soul-searching and explain to the French why we haven't been able to listen to them enough," Darmanin said in comments prior to Macon's announcement.

Sunday's results also saw the resurgence of the French centre-left, with Socialist candidate Raphael Glucksmann, a pro-Ukraine moderate, who won some 14%. His strong showing will embolden the Socialists, who had faced electoral oblivion after Macron's 2017 election win.

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If the RN wins a majority, Macron would still direct defence and foreign policy, but would lose the power to set the domestic agenda, from economic policy to security.

What kind of stupid ass system allows a defeated incumbent to retain ANY power to steer the ship of state in any direction? Seems a little retarded.

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Originally posted by gearhounds:
What kind of stupid ass system allows a defeated incumbent to retain ANY power to steer the ship of state in any direction? Seems a little retarded.

If I were to tell you that in TX, the scumbag RINO Speaker of The House assigned some committee chairs to the Dems, you would say I'm crazy. Well, not crazy at all, because it's a disgusting fact.

quote:

Originally posted by gearhounds:

quote:

If the RN wins a majority, Macron would still direct defence and foreign policy, but would lose the power to set the domestic agenda, from economic policy to security.

What kind of stupid ass system allows a defeated incumbent to retain ANY power to steer the ship of state in any direction? Seems a little retarded.

Surely you understand he's still the President. Macron still has three years left in his 2nd term. If a US President gets trounced in the midterms and loses both the House and Senate, he doesn't have much say to steer domestic policy, now does he?

French election results map. Dark brown is the heavily conservative and staunchly anti-immigration National Rally party. I'd say that sends a pretty strong message.

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Originally posted by RogueJSK:
French election results map. Dark brown is the heavily conservative and staunchly anti-immigration National Rally party. I'd say that sends a pretty strong message.

And yet, Macron still has power. He's trying to ride a backlash of people driven by emotion. Divide & conquer, politics over everything else.

I suspect that our media is misrepresenting the mood of the Europeans to us. Not a big surprise.
The "folks" over there are disgusted by most of the same things we are here. Massive deficits that are financing all sorts of programs like welfare and green stuff, they don't agree with, open immigration policies that involve more urgent problems than the ones we face.
For example, most coming across our southern border are not of the same threat level as the radicals they are facing.
Add to that the more likely scenario that their children may eventually become part of the Ukrainian unpleasantness, along with an increasing part of their budget.
France isn't the only country facing a radical change soon. Let's just hope some of the new folks can right the ship.

IMHO, Europe for Europeans.

If outsiders come in to integrate / assimilate, and become homogenous with the rest of the population, then okay.

But if they come in and try to change the new area into the old area they left, then FO.

Again, JMHO.

the rules of parliament and soccer are two things i don't understand...LOL

Keep in mind that the elections that were held were for the EU Parliament - not the French Parliament.

It's very confusing and a lot of the news outlets are explaining it poorly - probably on purpose.

Macron is still President - he didn't lose anything. The people of France now have an opportunity to vote for the French Parliament early. It has the potential to allow the right-wing parties to gain power in France.

At least that's how I understand it. There could be shenanigans afoot.

I'm fascinated by the strategy game mentioned in the article.\ in that Macron hopes a majority win will show up the other side's inexperience.