France news and discussions

[weatheriscool]

[weatheriscool]

[wjfox]

One hell of a gamble for Macron.

[firestar464]

At least there'll be some respite knowing that perhaps the left and center outnumber the right so far. Still an overall bad move for Ensemble, especially seeing that support for the far right could very well surge over the next month.

[caltrek]

French President Macron calls early parliamentary election after far-right wins country's EU vote

More background on that:

Far-right Gains Trigger Elections in France, Reckoning in Europe
by Zachary Basu
June 10, 2024

Introduction:

(Axios) Europe's far right gained historic ground in continent-wide elections Sunday, with devastating losses forcing French President Emmanuel Macron to concede that the threat from nationalists could no longer be ignored.

• The center held in some countries, but a surge by the radical right — especially in Germany — has put pro-democracy parties on notice.

Why it matters: Macron stunned Europe last night by announcing he would hold new legislative elections later this month — three years early, and in the middle of preparations for the Paris Olympics.

• The extraordinary gamble came moments after European Parliament exit polls pointed to a dominant showing by Marine Le Pen's National Rally and major gains for other far-right parties across Europe.

• "The rise of nationalists and demagogues is a danger for our nation and for Europe," Macron said. "After this day, I cannot go on as though nothing has happened."

Read more here: https://www.axios.com/2024/06/10/europ ... ar-right

[caltrek]

In Snap Election, French Left Forms Alliance To Counter Far Right and Neoliberals
by Edward Carver
June 14, 2024

Introduction:

(Common Dreams) France's left-of-center parties announced on Thursday a new alliance aimed at countering both the ultranationalism of Marine Le Pen and the neoliberalism of President Emmanuel Macron in parliamentary elections that Macron called unexpectedly on Sunday.

The new alliance, called the Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP), formed following days of intense negotiations as several parties, most notably the center-left Parti Socialiste (PS) and the left-wing La France Insoumise (LFI), joined forces to put forth a common platform and avoid competing candidates in races for the 577 seats in the National Assembly.

NFP leaders said they wanted to create a bulwark against the Rassemblement National (RN), Le Pen's far-right party that is leading in the polls.
"We are going to extinguish the flame of the RN," said Marine Tondelier, the national secretary of Les Écologistes, one of the NFP parties, according to The Associated Press. "It's either us or them.

The new alliance also announced a push for a "total break" from Macron's policies, such as raising the retirement age.

Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/news/fran ... elections

[weatheriscool]

[Time_Traveller]

France votes in snap election that could make history

Sunday 30 June 2024 11:48, UK



Voters in France are heading to the polls today for a parliamentary election that could usher in the country's first far-right government since the Second World War.

French President Emmanuel Macron called a surprise vote after his centrist alliance was soundly beaten in the European elections by Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally earlier this month.

Voting began at 8am (7am UK time), closing at 4pm in smaller towns and 6pm in bigger cities. A winner may be apparent on Sunday night.

France has a semi-presidential system, which means it has both a president and a prime minister.

The voting taking place today will determine who is prime minister but not president, with Mr Macron already set on remaining in his role until the end of his term in 2027.

https://news.sky.com/story/polls-open-i ... t-13161182

[weatheriscool]

[weatheriscool]

[Time_Traveller]

I expect France will end up with a far-right PM and a centrist President until 2027.

[firestar464]

Naw they might have to coalition, which is almost impossible. I expect to see an unprecedented state of political paralysis and chaos for the next few years.

[caltrek]

After First Round of Voting, Will France's Centrists Drop Out to Stop the Fascists?
by Jake Johnson
July 1, 2024

Introduction:

(Common Dreams) Leaders of France's left-of-center parties vowed Sunday to withdraw their third-place candidates from runoff races in an effort to prevent Marine Le Pen's fascist National Rally from securing an absolute majority in the country's Parliament.

But will centrist candidates follow suit?

That question became critical following the first round of voting in snap parliamentary elections called by French President Emmanuel Macron last month after his party suffered a stinging defeat in European elections. Macron's decision appears to have backfired in a major way.

Le Pen's viciously xenophobic Rassemblement National (RN) prevailed in round one on Sunday, winning 33.2% of the vote, while the Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP)—an alliance of left-of-center parties formed ahead of the snap elections to counter the far-right—came in second at 28%. Macron's centrist Ensemble coalition landed in third with 22.4% of the vote.

The decisive second round will be held on July 7, and efforts to stop Le Pen's party from seizing outright control of the National Assembly likely hinge on electoral cooperation between the center and the left. The Financial Times calculated that the first round of voting "produced more than 300 three-way runoffs... an unprecedented number, although the final figure will depend on how many candidates drop out."

Read more here: https://www.commondreams.org/news/france-far-right

[firestar464]

They MUST have candidates withdraw if they care about upholding democracy.

[weatheriscool]

Le Pen Set to Fall Short of French Majority

July 4, 2024 at 1:03 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 212 Comments

https://politicalwire.com/2024/07/04/le ... -majority/

"SNIP...........

“Marine Le Pen’s National Rally is set to fall well short of an absolute majority in the French legislative election on Sunday, according to projections from three polling companies,” Bloomberg reports.

“The far-right group and its allies are on course to win between 190 and 250 of the 577 seats in the National Assembly, based on the three surveys released on Wednesday and Thursday. That would be significantly below the 289 that would enable it to pass bills easily and push through its agenda.”

[weatheriscool]

France voter turnout high, with far right seeking power

Source: Reuters

PARIS, July 7 (Reuters) - Voter turnout in France's parliamentary run-off election on Sunday rose sharply from the last time in 2022 in a ballot that could see the far-right National Rally (RN) emerge as the strongest force.

Although the RN is expected to win the most seats in the National Assembly, the latest opinion polls indicated it may fall short of an absolute majority.

A hung parliament would severely dent President Emmanuel Macron's authority and herald a prolonged period of instability and policy deadlock in the euro zone's second-biggest economy.

Should the nationalist, eurosceptic RN secure a majority, it would usher in France's first far-right government since World War Two and send shockwaves through the European Union at a time populist parties are strengthening support across the continent.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/fa ... 024-07-07/

[wjfox]

Far right's historic moment may have to wait

19:04

Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor in Paris

Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, the two big faces of the National Rally, were hoping for a dramatic and historic victory.

The projections we've just had from the big French broadcasters all suggests not only that their hopes have been dashed.

They all indicate that the left-wing New Popular Front, cobbled together hastily after President Macron called this election, may actually have won the race.

It wouldn't mean they could form any kind of government, because a hung parliament would be the result.

But if the radical-left France Unbowed and their allies in the Greens, Socialists and Communists really have won, it's a big dent in the expectations of the far right.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ck7gydw ... 8b139#post

[weatheriscool]

[Time_Traveller]

Macron asks Attal to stay as PM for now as France faces hung parliament

Mon 8 Jul 2024 14.18 BST



Emmanuel Macron has asked Gabriel Attal to stay on temporarily as French prime minister to maintain stability after a snap general election left France facing a hung parliament and fraught negotiations to form a new government.

The president called the ballot last month after a humiliating defeat to the far-right National Rally (RN) of Marine Le Pen in European parliamentary elections, but on Sunday it was a green-left alliance that emerged as the surprise winner.

The New Popular Front (NFP) won 182 seats in the 577-seat national assembly, with Macron’s centrist Together coalition returning 168 deputies and the RN – which after the first round on 30 June had been eyeing a majority – finishing third on 143.

With no single group securing an outright majority, the options include a technocratic government of experts, the NFP trying to form a minority government and seeking bill-by-bill support, or a broad coalition of the centre left and centre right.

Attal presented his resignation on Monday morning after Macron’s camp lost more than a third of its MPs. The president asked Attal to remain in power in a caretaker capacity to see out the period of the Paris Olympics and to reassure the international community and markets that France still has a functioning government.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/artic ... -elections

[wjfox]

France to host 2030 Winter Olympics & Paralympics

39 minutes ago

France has provisionally been chosen to host the 2030 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

The French Alps bid, put forward as the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) preferred vote in June, was approved on Wednesday - providing France provides financial guarantees.

The French government has been unable to provide the necessary state and regional guarantees to the IOC because of the recent elections.

France President Emmanuel Macron has said he will not name a new government until after the 2024 Olympics in Paris, which start this week.

He said: "I confirm the full commitment of the French nation, and assure you that I will ask the next prime minister to include not only this guarantee but also an Olympic law in the priorities of the new government. Seven years ago we made the same commitment (for Paris 2024), and we delivered. We will do the same."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cyx524d5zqgo