In a move that surprised almost everyone except possibly the horoscope writers who had warned of chaos in Mercury’s retrograde, French President Emmanuel Macron has responded to a resounding defeat in the European Parliament elections by calling a snap legislative election, because nothing says “strategic comeback” like rolling the dice twice in one week.
Macron’s centrist Renaissance party was thoroughly outpaced by Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally, whose list, led by 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, secured more than twice the vote of Macron’s party. It was a blow so sharp that Macron promptly decided that electoral whiplash should be a national experience rather than a personal one.
The first round of this new election is scheduled for June 30, with the second round hot on its heels on July 7. Perhaps Macron was seduced by the spirit of summer blockbusters and thought, why not drop a political sequel no one saw coming?
In a televised address that likely left many French citizens blinking at their televisions and checking the date, Macron said, “I’ve decided to give you back the choice of our parliamentary future by voting.” Which sounds very democratic, although the subtext may translate roughly as: if you didn’t like this show, here’s the reboot with the same cast but even higher stakes.
The National Rally’s Bardella, who has taken on the air of someone who just won Eurovision crossed with a corporate restructuring announcement, called the snap election “a new era.” Which is one way to describe what may be a far-right tilt in France’s legislative compass, assuming voters view the second act as less of a plot twist and more of a climactic showdown.
Meanwhile, France’s fragmented left is scrambling to form a unified front faster than you can say “unholy alliance.” Given their history, cooperation may prove trickier than assembling IKEA furniture without the instruction manual or tiny Allen key.
Markets, those fickle creatures, gave a polite nod of disapproval with the euro dipping slightly and French bond spreads twitching nervously, as if the economy just spilled wine on a white tablecloth at a very formal dinner party.
So France heads toward another election, with Macron betting that either his critics will blink or his luck will change, although at this rate even the Eiffel Tower is probably considering filing for emotional resilience leave.
Democracy, as it turns out, comes with unlimited refills.