Paris (AP) – France’s president Emmanuel Macron There are shortages of wiggle rooms. Sudden resignation His Prime Minister on Monday – Macron’s Fourth in over a year Nearly constant political upheaval – detaining French leaders.
None of Macron’s options appear appetizing, at least from his perspective. And for France, the path ahead is an annoying effort to curb the harmful state of France, promising much of the political uncertainty that erodes investors’ trust in the European Union’s second largest economy. Deficits and debts.
Domestic turmoil also risks shifting from imposing international issues – war at Gaza and Ukrainesafe threat Use of American power muscle from Russia and by the US President Donald Trumplist some of these challenges.
Let’s take a closer look at the latest acts of unprecedented political dramas since Macron disbanded the Parliament in June 2024, shocking the country by causing freshness, and rocking France Legislative Election It stacked up the opposition of French leaders and the powerful House of Parliament:
The 14-hour government collapses
When Prime Minister Sebastian Lecorne bid for his resignation on Monday morning, he pulled a rug from underneath New Cabinet That he had given his name 14 hours ago on a Sunday night. The government’s collapse that quickly mixed in, left his job before the minister settled down – was a bad look for Macron, and was treated falsically for his critics.
It reinforced the impression that Macron, famously described himself as “the master of the clock” to secure his first French presidency in 2017, is no longer fully commanding the French political agenda, and that his authority is declining.
One of Macron’s loyal supporters, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, just resident but currently outgoing ecology minister, captured the mood and posted, “Like many of you, I will despair about this circus.”
Perhaps more damage to Macron is the reason Le Cornes later gave to him for his resignation, and at this speed, he may need to quickly fit the revolving door in a speech at the previous step of Later des Matignon, the office of the 18th-century French prime minister.
Lecornu, 39, explained that after the French leader’s former prime minister, he gave him the job Macron gave him a month ago. Tossed out in a parliamentary vote, It had proven impossible.
Lecornu said three weeks of negotiations with political parties from the entire political spectrum have failed for unions and business leaders to build a consensus behind France’s top priorities. I agree to the national budget for next year.
“Being a prime minister is a difficult task and is a little more difficult at the moment, but if the situation is not satisfied, you can’t become a prime minister,” Lecorne said.
There is no union tradition
When the SNAP legislative elections, summoned by Macron, delivered the suspended parliament since July 2024, the French leader believed that his centralist camp could continue to govern effectively, despite having no stable majority by building an alliance in the parliament.
But the 577-seat Chamber of Commerce voting mathematics is a recipe for confusion, with lawmakers broadly divided into three main blocks: left, center and far-right, not enough seats to form the government alone.
Unlike Germany, the Netherlands and several other countries in Europe, France does not have a tradition of political coalitions governing together.
Macron’s political foes in the Legislature, especially Macron, on the left and right, were not in the mood to play the ball.
Despite their own bitter ideological differences, they have repeatedly teamed up with the president’s prime minister and minority governments, defeating them one after another.
The left has gathered efforts to defeat Recorne’s new government soon this week, and the far right has shown that he can vote for him too.
It’s been on fire since September 2024 Gabriel AtalMichel Bernier, François Beilou and now Prime Minister, closing allies Recornes, the ones chosen by their successor Macron are on equally unstable ground.
Another breakup
Macron’s alternative is to re-eliminate Congress, especially pressure from the far right, especially on another unplanned cycle of legislative elections.
Macron previously vowed to step down from his own office and end his second and final presidential term in 2027.
But a new election for the Parliament will come with risks for French leaders.
Already the biggest single party, Marine Le Pen’s far-right national rally party, could be on top, a result of Macron’s long-awaited attempt to avoid. It could ensure Macron has to share power with the far-right prime minister for the rest of his time.
Macron’s unpopularity has led to an overwhelming defeat in his centralist camp, which could mean he will have to shake up more in Congress than he is now, perhaps making deals with a stronger coalition of left-wing parties and sharing power.
Or France can get the same thing. Political impasse and confusion weaken the French leader at home, but it doesn’t tie his hands to the world stage.
“That’s not a very good image of stability, but the central institution continues to be the president of the Republic,” said Luc Rouban, a political science researcher at the University of Science and PO in Paris.
“I don’t think Emmanuel Macron will step down. He continues to be a leader in international affairs. So he sticks to his position on the situation in Ukraine or the Middle East and its relationship with the United States.”
___
John Leicester has been reporting from France for the Associated Press since 2002.
