The Potentially Historic French Elections Matter Here, Too
The right-wing party is leading in the first round of votes, which means it’s time for leftists to protest free and fair elections.
French President Emmanuel Macron took a gamble. He decided to hold a snap election two weeks before the Paris Olympics in an effort to thwart a more conservative movement in France. The so-called “extreme Right” won big at the European Union. Lightning wouldn’t strike twice, would it? Lightning did, in fact, strike twice, and Macron, a “centrist,” gambled and lost big in the first round of voting.
There are three competing factions in the French parliament: the right-wing National Rally (RN), Macron’s centrist coalition, and the far-left Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP). The RN comprises populists who want to protect and restore French culture and address the immigration problem. The NFP is a coalition of Marxists, environmentalists, and open border proponents.
Dissatisfied with Macron’s inability to address many of France’s ever-growing problems, the French people are turning back to a more conservative-oriented political party.
In the first round of voting, the RN won 34% of the vote — a huge change from its mere 18% in 2022 — the NFP won 28%, and Macron’s centrists only got 21%. The longtime leader of the RN, Marine Le Pen, declared, “Democracy has spoken, and the French have put the RN and its allies at the top, practically wiping out the Macron camp.”
The goal now is for the RN to achieve an absolute majority and form a government. This was precisely what Macron was hoping to avoid by holding elections early. If he had waited until October, that absolute majority would have been a certainty. The political maneuvering has now started in earnest to sandbag the RN.
The next round of voting is on July 7. Should the trajectory continue and the RN win a big share of the hundreds of runoff seats, that absolute majority could become a reality. If the National Rally wins, 28-year-old RN President Jordan Bardella, protégé of Marine Le Pen, is expected to be named as prime minister.
The far-left coalition quickly began rioting. As one X user posted, “Commies in France saw the results and immediately started burning everything around them. Most destructive ideology on Earth.”
Commies in France saw the results and immediately started burning everything around them.
— 𝗡𝗶𝗼𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗴 ♛ ✡︎ (@NiohBerg) June 30, 2024
Most destructive ideology on Earth. pic.twitter.com/fvkVFHxPoI
Another posted a video of protesters shooting fireworks at police.
Des tensions éclatent à Paris.
— Luc Auffret (@LucAuffret) June 30, 2024
Des manifestants tirent des feux d'artifice en direction de la police. Plusieurs départs de feu.#ElectionsLegislatives2024 #legislatives2024 pic.twitter.com/3AwpjVxRQS
It’s only “democracy” for them if they are winning. Seems like that is a universal sentiment for the Left. Hopefully, French voters won’t be intimidated by these tactics.
