institute of europe
the institute of europe of the russian academy of sciences
Analytical paper No 16, 2024 «French elections 2024: double defeat for Macron»
- 18 July 2024
IE RAS presents Analytical papers of IE RAS No 16, 2024 «French elections 2024: double defeat for Macron» (in Russian) by Sergey Fedorov, Candidate of Science (Politics), Leading Researcher, Department of Social and political studies, Institute of Europe, Russian Academy of Sciences.
The crushing defeat of presidential coalition led by the Revival party in the European elections on June 9 provoked E. Macron's unexpected and risky decision to dissolve the National Assembly and hold early parliamentary elections. However, the goals of the head of state to counter-defeat Marine Le Pen’s National Rally and form a stable majority in the lower house of parliament were not achieved. Although, as a result of the elections, not a single political bloc received the absolute majority of votes, the winner was the left “New Popular Front” that gained the majority of parliamentary mandates, giving the right to form a new government. Thus, in France a new, fourth period in the history of the Fifth Republic begins, a period of “political cohabitation” between the president and the government, representing different political forces. Early elections increased the polarization of the French party-political system, consolidating its three-bloc structure. For the first time, the far-right National Rally became the largest parliamentary party. The results of early elections marked the end of the seven-year “era of Macronism”.
