An Era Ends in France

An era has come to a close in France as President Emmanuel Macron’s seven-year dominance in national politics was brought to an end by his party’s significant defeat in the first round of parliamentary elections on Sunday. The dissolution of Parliament through a snap vote not only marked the end of Macron’s reign but also effectively dissolved the centrist movement known as “Macronism.”

The far-right National Rally emerged victorious by securing a third of the vote in the first round, setting the stage for a likely strong showing in the upcoming runoff election. Macron’s risky decision to call for early elections backfired, resulting in his party facing a drastic reduction in the number of seats it holds.

Former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe remarked, “The decision to dissolve the National Assembly has effectively brought an end to the political landscape that emerged after the 2017 presidential election.”

Emmanuel Macron, who rose to power in 2017 at the age of 39, initially aimed to reshape French politics by dismantling the traditional center-right and center-left parties in favor of a pragmatic centrist approach. While successful initially, Macron’s failure to establish a sustainable moderate political party led to a situation where he stood almost alone against the extremes of the political spectrum.

Although his stance served him well at times, it ultimately crumbled, resulting in a significant self-inflicted setback in European politics. Macron’s decision to call for early elections just weeks before the Paris Olympics seemed unnecessary, especially after the National Rally’s strong performance in the European parliamentary elections.

Today, France finds itself in a precarious position where even a modest victory for Macron would be seen as preventing the National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, from gaining an absolute majority in the National Assembly, even if it means facing potential governance challenges.