Paris Punch.
Well, there you have it. France discovers it has a left hand too. But will it hit?
Source: ANDRE PAIN/EPA-EFE/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK. Monsieur “La republique c’est moi.”
I’ve never traded horses before, nor watched it unfold, but you can sense it in the summer wind.
On Sunday, the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) secured 182 seats, overshadowing President Macron’s Ensemble party. The far-right Rassemblement Nationale, a week ago a formidable foe, has been relegated to a squeal, landing in third place.
Prime Minister Attal's resignation came almost immediately. Tales have fumed of a serious deterioration of his relationship with the President. The young buck frames himself as the primary casualty of Macron’s impulsiveness.
This election, Macron’s image was conspicuously scarce on his party’s posters. Attal, in contrast, remained prominent. In spite of the resignation, Macron politely asked Attal to remain in the Prime Ministerial seat for now.
But the left has it. So left are they, in fact, that they can barely agree on what left means.
The NFP is an eclectic coalition of more than 20 parties, meaning that it remains deeply divided despite its victory. Their unity is born not of mutual affection but of shared animosity.
As soon as news of their success was in, their leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon addressed his cheering fandom. Safely in the countryside, I heard the first applause erupt from the television when he declared, “the RN is far from having power.”
At its heart, the coalition has hate of the RN first, and disdain for Macron second. This is not hyperbole. Hoffer, whom I cite liberally, once reminded us that a mass movement can rise and spread without belief in God, but never without belief in a devil.
But the far-right seems smothered after this final round, no longer presenting an immediate threat. But while third in seats, it snagged the most votes—nearly 9 million (A growing cloud whose rain might only be felt in 2027 with the Presidential election).
What remains is Macron, whom Mélenchon refuses to negotiate with. He lays out demands in no uncertain terms:
Let me dissect and translate this for you.
“We will have a male or female Prime Minister from the Nouveau Front Populaire.”
While the leader of the biggest party within the left bloc, Mélenchon is unlikely succeed as the Prime Minister. His extreme left-wing views make him an unviable candidate.
His little tweet above also called for the international recognition of Palestine as a state. This, without dwelling in the antisemitism rotting in some corners of his party, would signify a radical shift in France’s relationship with Israel. One that is unpopular with the majority of voters. François Ruffin, an LFI dissenter, could be a viable alternative.
Nevertheless, the LFI will likely push for Mélenchon, but the Socialists, the second-largest party in the left bloc, will have their own chap. Once a dominant force, the Socialist Party suffered a severe decline when Macron broke away. They hit a low point in 2022 with just 1.7% in the presidential election.
This year, they rebounded to almost 14% of the national vote. Potential leaders include Olivier Faure or the rising star Raphaël Glucksmann.
Mélenchon’s tweet then adds that “we could decide many things by decree.” A not so subtle reference to Article 49.3 of the Constitution.
This constitutional procedure allows the Prime Minister to bypass the Assembly with certain laws unless a motion of censure is passed. (If successful, the motion would lead to the dismissal of the government).
It was this measure that the last government, of Macron’s party, had used to force through the highly controversial retirement reforms last year.
Left-wing leaders, who previously lambasted this mechanism, are now preparing to use it, prompting right-wing media to feast on their hypocrisy:
“After screaming to death against Article 49.3, they justify it in advance of its use, if it means undoing laws adopted as a result of the bias of that same article, namely the retirement reforms.”
Source: Le Point
This is yet another reminder not to be too starry-eyed about politicians’ intentions. The left bloc, united by fear of the far right, will now taste power and inevitably seek compromises. If they falter, they may end up trading their own meat for political gain.
Trading has begun, and I have no idea how it will pan out. But hats off for making it this far.