Macron does not want to choose between the far right of Le Pen and the left of Melenchon

In last Sunday’s French legislative elections to renew the National Assembly, the leftist coalition, the New Popular and Social Union (Nupes) led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, received a very similar percentage of the vote to Ensemble! , President Emmanuel Macron’s coalition (which includes his party, La République en marche), and could threaten the majority in Parliament (the Nupes also include the Socialists). Squad in recent weeks! She was very worried about this possibility and after a rather weak start to the election campaign, her representatives carried out a aggressive strategy of intense attacks against the Mélenchon.

In view of the second round that will take place in almost all constituencies of the country (there are few who elected a candidate in the first round), part of Macron’s coalition continues on this line: to avoid losing a majority, so logically above all political expediency, did not want La République en marche (LRM) in giving a clear indication of the vote in the polls between Nupes and Marine Le Pen’s far-right party. It has been described by several French newspapers as an “unprecedented fact”, which creates some problems even within Macron’s coalition itself.

In the first round, Nupes and Ensemble! Both got about 26 percent. Translated into parliamentary seats based on the French electoral system (single double round), it means that the group! It can have between 255 and 295 deputies and a Nubian between 150 and 190. Majority 289: It is almost impossible for a Nupes to reach it, but likely to be able to get enough votes to wrest it from Macron.

The presidential majority actually lost seven points compared to the 2017 legislative elections and two points compared to Macron’s vote in the April presidential election. It is almost certain that the Arab Republic in the Marche would not hold an absolute majority, but it could also not hold the majority to which it belonged.

The second round of electing 577 members of the French National Assembly will be held on Sunday, June 19, and they are 61 oceans Where a candidate or candidate from the left-wing Nupes coalition will face the candidate of the National Rally, Marine Le Pen’s party. Thus, in relation to these positions, Macron’s alliance did not take a clear position.

Some members of the coalition, including La République en Marche Stanislas Guerini secretary, said the vote between the left and the far right should be decided “on a case-by-case basis”.

On Sunday evening, Prime Minister Elizabeth Bourne asked voters and electricians to oppose “extremism,” citing representatives of the far right and representatives of Nubians as a common enemy: “We will not surrender to anything. Neither way nor that.” Environmental Transformation Minister Amelie de Montchalin said: “I am asking to ban the left The extremist, whose real project is to create chaos and anarchy.” Former Minister of National Education Jean-Michel Blanquer, who was eliminated in the first round, said he believes that “the extreme left is as dangerous as the far right” and former Sports Minister Roxana Marasinho has called for “ A republican front against the extreme left.

Another band advocates! He was simply defeated in the first round, not uttered, and many others demanded that the ballot paper be left blank. At the moment, only 6 nominees are from the band! Knocked out in the first round Obviously they called their electors to transfer the vote to the Nupes and create a coherent “Republican Front” against the far right. That’s only 10 percent.

The new Minister of National Education, Bab Ndiaye, also claimed the need to stop the extreme right: “Whatever the formation, not one vote should go to the National Assembly. Fighting against the far right is not a variable engineering principle.”

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Le Monde she has supposed That this declaration, made by a minister considered to be of the left and who has not yet intervened in the electoral campaign for the legislative elections, would have reminded Macron of the political position of part of the early megalomaniac, and its fixation on the left. Between the first and second rounds of the presidential elections (in April), the president himself made several calls to create a republican front against the far right and against Marine Le Pen (the other candidate on the ballot): he lured voters, electricians, and environmentalists, using different expressions of Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

In other words, Le MondeOther French newspapers highlighted the contradictions that emerged between April and today in Macron’s speech and the coalition that supports it. The set of very different positions within the band! Or the lack of a clear position could end up punishing the presidential coalition, some analysts have written.