Presidential Elections in France

[bale002]

Originally Posted by Jezer

Exactly. Politics is not a reality show.

Lots of folks confuse political theater and real politics.

[forgotten username]

Originally Posted by bale002

France was part of NATO from early days, bound by the mutual defense terms of the treaty, but from the time of De Gaulle for some 40 years it was outside of the NATO command structure, maintaining direct control of command of its own forces.

I read that Ms Le Pen wanted to take France out of the NATO command structure again.

Do you think that NATO is not that relevant nowadays?

What is Mr Melechon’s stated position on NATO?

I mean NATO made sense in a cold war context, which leads to where it stands right now.



Not sure about Melenchon's opinion, I'm pretty sure he's not too keen on NATO considering he used to be pretty complacent with Putin (and tried to forget about it lately)

[Brave New World]

It's the French Parliamentary elections tomorrow, and polls predict President Macron will lose control of the French Parliament.

If that happens then Macron will have trouble passing any legislation or enacting promised reforms, and he will be little more than a pointless figure head.

Macron could lose absolute majority in parliament, poll finds - POLITICO

[Brave New World]

As predicted Macron lost his majority in the French Parliament, by around 100 seats and will now be forced to negotiate with French Conservative parties and others in order to pass legislation and govern the country.

It's comparable to a US President being thrashed in the Mid-Terms, although Macron doesn't even have the power of a US President.

French elections: Macron loses majority as French vote fragments - BBC News

Originally Posted by BBC News

The results of Sunday's legislative election confirm that this second term will be a different beast from the first, with Mr Macron cutting the figure of a chastened and greatly weakened leader.

Instead of being able to rely on (and basically therefore ignore) a compliant legislature, the president now faces a National Assembly which cannot guarantee the passage of his reforms.

Down by 100 or so seats, with only a relative and no longer an absolute majority, the once all-conquering head of state will be forced to negotiate with the opposition, notably the conservative Republicans (LR).

On some issues they will co-operate - for example on raising the pension age to 65 - but their support will come at a price. And by depending on LR, there will be the inevitable consequence for Mr Macron's supposedly centrist government that it will begin to look disconcertingly like a right-wing one.

Even within his own coalition, the president's position will be less sure.

Because under the constitution he cannot serve a third term, the question of succession is open. At some point we can expect allies like former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, who commands a separate detachment of MPs, to start the sniping.

There are many who feel that Mr Macron has been the architect of his own problems.

He failed to seize the impetus provided by his presidential win in order to push for another majority in parliament
.
He barely seemed to campaign, and waited weeks before appointing a prime minister - Élisabeth Borne - whose undoubted talents cannot make up for her poor rapport with the voters.

Maybe from the very moment on Sunday, 24 April, when he learned he had a secured a second term, Mr Macron felt the uncomfortable weight of his position. That was certainly how it looked.

Yes, he had won five more years - but the history of second terms in the Fifth Republic has never been a happy one. And yes, he had a majority of the French behind him - but more out of rejection of the other than for love of him.

It was like he knew the best was over.

Emmanuel Macron a chastened and greatly weakened leader - BBC News