According to former Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, the results of yesterday's parliamentary elections in France will perhaps trouble the whole of Europe. Marcoullis notes the high abstention rate and does not rule out early parliamentary elections, since Emmanuel Macron has lost his absolute majority in parliament and will face problems with the opposition.
Asked by CNA to comment on the result of the second round of the parliamentary elections, the former foreign minister said that Macron's defeat in terms of the goal of an absolute majority in parliament is significant, "and the problems that arise may not be overcome." The percentage that Mr Macron now got, she said, namely 40% of seats, compared to the 60% he had previously, "does not allow him to have viable coalitions, since it seems that the opposition parties are not willing to join forces with Mr Macron's party". We will have to wait and see what the centre-right, the 61 Republican MPs, will do, he noted.
The rise of the left and the far-right
According to Ms. Marcoullis, the rise of the coalition of the left is very important, which we had seen in the presidential elections, but in the parliamentary elections we see a very important rise that is also a response to policies of the Macron government on issues that touch on the daily life of French citizens, such as accuracy, pensions, the energy crisis.
The rise of Ms. Le Pen's party, after a successful presidential candidacy, is something very worrying, Ms. Marcoullis noted, as we are talking about a multiplication of seats, from 8 to 89. She spoke of a footprint of the rise of the far right which only causes concern in the wider European area.
The former Foreign Minister said that the results of the parliamentary elections in France should be seen in the context of international developments, but also in the European area, as a result of the two-year crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but also what is happening today with the war in Ukraine and the economic and other dramatic consequences that have been caused.
It reflects a voice of concern from the citizens of France who are experiencing the effects of these two crises, he added.
Abstention
Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis also noted the very high abstention rate, which exceeded 54%, close to 56% in 2017, noting that more than half of the voters did not go to the polls in France. "Something that should be of general concern and concern, because this is not a French phenomenon, but a broader one. We have seen it in our own case, in presidential elections, in parliamentary elections and even more so in European elections."
In this way, he continued, a large percentage of people choose to declare their refusal to participate in this type of electoral process.
"It will not affect France's foreign policy and its role in Europe."
Asked if she thinks that any difficulties in governance at home will affect France's role in the EU, Ms. Marcoullis said that the election results are about the domestic political situation in France and she does not think they will have an impact on France's position in the EU.
President Macron, she added, has shown a lot of leadership and attitude on Ukraine in particular. One of the first EU leaders to stand up for France from the very first moment to avert war, unfortunately without results because of Russia, he pointed out.
But if he does not achieve a majority in parliament, he continued, Macron is likely to call early parliamentary elections because it will be difficult to govern with only the votes of his own coalition. He said he would have to largely change policies to move closer to those of the left, or more center-right positions, which would have long-term implications for his own party.
Source: CNA
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