legislatives-suite-le-bonbon-paris

Legislative elections 2024: what's next after the left's comeback?

undefined undefined 8 juillet 2024 undefined 12h30

undefined undefined 9 juillet 2024 undefined 08h39

The Editor

Montage : Le Bonbon © Nicolas Economou / Antonin Albert / Shutterstock / Pulp Fiction

On this beautiful Sunday, July 7th, everyone was focused on France as the country's destiny was decided in the thrilling second round of legislative elections. To everyone's surprise, a huge surge of support from the left, spearheaded by the New Popular Front (NFP), prevailed over the increasing power of the National Rally (RN). Although no party won a complete majority in the Assembly, a fresh political scenery is starting to take shape. So, what exciting changes can we look forward to?

Since last night, celebrations and images of joy and victory have been spreading throughout France. The RN was leading in the polls by a large margin after the first round of legislative elections, but thankfully ended up in 3rd place in terms of the number of seats last night. This is great news for the Republic. But what will happen now that the left has a relative majority and the presidential party is in second place? The first measure: Prime Minister The most anticipated change brought about by this election is the appointment of a new Prime Minister. Gabriel Attal, who may soon be known as the youngest Prime Minister in history, submitted his resignation from Matignon on Monday, July 8 at 11:15. He was appointed last January 9 and announced that he will stay in his position until his successor is designated.

But then, who will take on this difficult task? Olivier Faure, First Secretary of the Socialist Party and newly elected deputy under the NFP banner, declared this morning that the coalition of left-wing parties should propose a candidate for the position " this week ". For now, however, while Mathilde Panot, another NFP candidate representing LFI, stated that Jean-Luc Mélenchon is still in the running, and although the names of Marine Tondelier and Manuel Bompard are being mentioned, no specific candidacy is emerging at this time.

A decision that will ultimately have to be validated by Emmanuel Macron, since the President is the only one who can appoint the Prime Minister's replacement. It is therefore imagined that the left will have to wait to present a fairly consensual candidate, to gather maximum support. Once the decision is validated, the Prime Minister will then have to form his government. The suspense continues...

remains complete for now, even though we can imagine seeing some left-wing ministers make their appearance, of course.


A new Assembly to understand

Another big change from this election, a National Assembly without an absolute majority, and with a not so obvious relative majority. Indeed, if the NFP finishes with 178 seats, it is closely followed by Ensemble (150) and the RN (143). A rather unprecedented situation, which leads some to already mention new alliances. While some mention lasting coalitions, others advocate for ad hoc agreements on a case-by-case basis depending on the topics.

In a situation "far from the clarity" that Macron was hoping for when he dissolved the National Assembly a month ago. Without an absolute majority, it's difficult for parties to reach a consensus, and for the (relative) majority of the NFP to impose new measures and laws. As new deputies move into their new offices starting this Monday, the next few days will be dedicated to forming new parliamentary groups, and to electing key positions.

It remains to be seen if the NFP will be able to implement some of the points of its program, such as raising the minimum wage to 1600 euros and freezing prices on essential goods, or repealing the retirement reform and the immigration law. Unfortunately, we will have to wait at least one more week to see the new major trends emerge, and if a new government will take shape. Being more open and global is a possibility, or just a little crazy dream.

The Hanouna Question

Lastly, amidst the haze of these more than surprising results, the possible resignation of Hanouna is adding even more uncertainty to the already tense political atmosphere. Let's keep an eye on how this drama unfolds, while we wait for new developments in the coming days.

The name of the Prime Minister has been mentioned. The uncertainty and tension surrounding this situation are palpable, as the country waits to see what direction its leaders will take. Only time will tell what awaits France in this new political landscape. The name of Cyril Hanouna, who has shown great support for the RN throughout the campaign. Indeed, the host of "Touche Pas à Mon Poste", and of "On Marche sur la tête", his new scandalous show on Europe 1, had announced a few days ago that he would leave France in case of a victory for LFI. A promise that did not fall on deaf ears, and that left-wing voters were quick to remind him of. Unfortunately, despite the hundreds of people who chanted "Hanouna, get lost" this Sunday, it seems that the host has had a change of heart. Not surprisingly. He simply lamented this "collective defeat" on Twitter, before announcing, in a big wave of uncertainty. With the reinforcement of the "cherished ones", the return is announced to be crazy. Well, we will therefore have a new season that will certainly raise the intellectual level of the PAF. Great.