France, turn to the right: Macron’s calculated risk. What’s happening in France now?

The French press analyzes the advance of the far right and the President's moves: "It focuses on the fear effect"

ROME – Rassemblement National with the double of the votes of Macron’s list. The President dissolving the National Assembly, new elections on 30 June (and 7 July). The long night of the French European elections passed in a flash, giving away the truly great title of the continental elections. In the French press it is a day-after of analysis, behind the scenes, survivalist guides like “what happens now”.

In reality the polls showed the party of Le Pen and Bardella in constant advance for quite a while, and Macron’s move (although not forced) would have been prepared for some time. With two possible meanings. For Le Monde, in fact Macron took a risk in calling the legislative elections. But a calculated risk: facing the enemy now – playing on people’s fear effect due to a far-right drift – instead of facing another three years (until 2027, next presidential elections) of turbulence. Macron takes the initiative into his own hands, keeps “his job” and prepares to face an unpleasant but not unprecedented “coexistence”: president and head of government of different parties.

The analysis of the press also push for a another point: the French elections have different mechanisms, and it is more complicated to obtain a seat, with the double round; the European Parliament is a perfect terrain for contesting elections, because it is a place perceived as “other”, “distant”. There is more detachment. It is by no means certain that the national elections will produce the same explosive result, for Rassemblement National. In short, Macron would aim for a rapid downsizing, aiming to shock the French electorate.

Furthermore, other observers explain, even if things went very badly, Macron would prefer to leave the government to the far right to control it from the Elysée, rather than act as a deadlock and find himself one day having to manage a situation even worse.