Macron minimizes his relative majority and remembers that it is normal in Europe

Emmanuel Macron was optimistic yesterday about the possibility of building "constructive majorities" in the National Assembly that allow governing.

Thomas Osborne
Thomas Osborne
24 June 2022 Friday 17:54
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Macron minimizes his relative majority and remembers that it is normal in Europe

Emmanuel Macron was optimistic yesterday about the possibility of building "constructive majorities" in the National Assembly that allow governing. At a press conference in Brussels, after the European Council, the French president tried to play down the result of last Sunday's legislative elections, in which his supporters, the Ensemble (Together) coalition, were far from the absolute majority they had holding for the past five years.

The French leader, heavily criticized by the opposition after his televised speech on Wednesday night, which seemed too vague, recalled that "democratic vitality" is expressed in Europe in relative majorities. He insisted that this is normality in surrounding countries, with sometimes up to seven partners, and cited the cases of Germany and Italy. He also alluded to the relative majority that existed in France in 1988. The president ironically commented on the reproaches he was often made for having "too much power", due to "a majority that was too clear", while now there is alarm about the eventual ungovernability.

Macron was confident that it will be possible to establish a majority "with the government parties", either in the form of a coalition or specific agreements in each bill. The concept of “government parties” is interesting. It is frequently used in French political jargon to refer to formations with government experience and moderates. That category would include Republicans (LR, right), socialists, and even environmentalists. The radical left and the extreme right would be left out.

Macron returned to Paris yesterday for a short break before heading to the Bavarian Alps for the G7 summit. He will then fly to Madrid for the NATO summit and then to Lisbon for a UN meeting on the oceans. It is very unlikely that during this period of absence the French internal crisis will be unraveled.