It is very surprising to know that France entered in September without any leader. Despite the fact that Macron had called elections in June and July. Early election was held in June and many people expected that the far-right might be the winner. Some even believed that Macron also wanted this. So that Marine Le Pen’s party would struggle with power and be less likely to win the presidency in 2027. However, the result is totally opposite to the expectations. A left-wing group got most of the votes and became the winner. But the seats they won were not enough to have a strong majority in parliament. In France there is a rule that the previous president chooses the prime minister. He selects the leader usually from the party or group with the most seats in the National Assembly. But nowadays, the country is not in a stable position as there is no clear clarity on who is the winner. This uncertainty made things complicated in France’s political landscape.
Still the citizens of France do not know about the name of their leader. After the election results, the defeated prime minister Gabriel Attal decided to resign. But the president did not accept his resignation. Instead, he decided to keep the current government in place, even though the ministers had effectively stepped down. France’s citizens did not experience this type of situation in the past, where a government that has resigned continues to govern. In July, many parliaments secured their seats.
What is the republican front?
This was due to the voting strategy called the “republican front”. According to this methodology, different candidates collaborate and work together to stop Marine Le Pen’s far-right party from gaining power. The main supporter of this strategy was left. But it gave benefits to Macron’s party. However, once Macron’s party was securely in power, they refused to collaborate with the main left-wing party, France Unbowed (LFI), labeling them too extreme and unfit to govern.
Eventually, the left-wing coalition, the New Popular Front (NFP), chose Lucie Castets, a 37-year-old civil servant, as their candidate for prime minister.
The response of Macron was very dismissive about the French political situation. He explored in an interview that nobody secured the most seats. He also said that the New Popular Front does not have a majority. This clearly highlights that Macron does not see them as strong. Then he decided by himself that France should wait about the final results until the Paris Olympics 2024 ended. After this event the name of the new prime minister will be explored. However this delay clearly represents that he is just buying time.
After six weeks of this announcement, he began to talk with other political leaders. The left-wing party, LFI, even offered to step aside to help the coalition. But after the conversation, Macron said that he would not choose the prime minister from the left wing.
Instead, he suggested exploring a centrist coalition, aiming to keep things stable and avoid risks. His actions seem more about maintaining control than solving the political problems.
No one expected this type of statement as it was shocking and dangerous. It clearly shows the disregard of democracy. Many people who support NFP strongly criticized it and called it “disgrace” and an “unacceptable power grab.Even François Hollande, a former president and current NFP member, criticized it as an “institutional mistake.”
The president should stay above party politics and shouldn’t interfere in how majorities are formed. Earlier this summer, Macron’s team made it clear he wasn’t willing to make significant policy changes. In the recent unexpected elections, French voters turned out in record numbers, showing they wanted change and rejected Macron. No single bloc can govern alone, so it’s not the president’s job to decide which one should take charge.
People are living in the nation where the current government makes important decisions about the future. Macron, who promised to unite the broken system, now acts like the king and is also ignoring the democratic rules. Instead of serving his nation as the true leader, he is becoming an authoritarian president. This is the reason that his popularity is falling fast.
This is not right in a democracy. The French people have clearly said they don’t like his policies, and he needs to start listening to them.
