Emmanuel Macron’s inner circle is panicking at the possibility the far-right could soon take power in the French Parliament after the the President dissolved the National Assembly earlier this month. The drastic measure came in response to a crushing defeat by the far-right in the European Parliament elections on June 9.
Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, a prominent figure in Macron’s Renaissance liberal party, expressed a bleak outlook during a campaign stop in northern France. Le Maire, quoted by Le Figaro, lamented that “the country is going to the dogs”.
Previously whispered criticisms of Macron are now being voiced openly.
Le Maire, a loyalist, revealed that Macron made the decision to dissolve parliament alone, which, he said on French radio, has led to “anxiety, misunderstanding and sometimes anger” among the French people.
As the political landscape rapidly shifts, candidates are scrambling to register for an unexpected parliamentary election before the Sunday evening deadline.
Meanwhile, a newly formed left-wing alliance, created to counter the far-right surge, faced immediate challenges. The coalition lost a candidate who had a history of spousal assault convictions.
Adrien Quatennens, previously associated with the hard-left France Unbowed party, withdrew his candidacy, exposing cracks within the New Popular Front.
Quatennens, sentenced to a suspended four-month jail term in 2022 for spousal assault, was initially included among the New Popular Front’s 230 candidates.
His selection, reportedly due to his loyalty to France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, caused controversy within the coalition. François Ruffin, an outgoing left-wing lawmaker, criticised this decision on social media, accusing the party of choosing loyalty over integrity, saying: “You prefer a man who hits his wife, perpetrator of domestic violence, to comrades who have the impudence to have a disagreement with the great leader.”
Under mounting pressure, Quatennens announced his withdrawal, stating he did not want his candidacy to harm the New Popular Front’s chances against the far-right.
“In under three weeks, this beautiful country … could be governed by the fascists for the first time since World War II,” he warned, highlighting the severity of the situation.
Quatennens expressed remorse for his past actions, describing the incident as “this slap” and affirming his immediate regret.
With a deadline of 6 pm on Sunday, candidates are hastily preparing their paperwork and launching their campaigns.
Among the surprise entrants is former President François Hollande, who announced his candidacy for a legislative seat in the rural region of Correze.
Hollande cited “the danger that the extreme right represents” as his motivation for returning to politics, underscoring the seriousness of the current political climate. He said: “The situation is serious, more than it ever has been.”
