“We are having this election stolen from us.”

The June parliamentary elections in France put the newly-formed left coalition New Popular Front alliance (NFP) in first place, followed by President Macron’s Ensemble alliance and the far-right National Rally in third. 

However, in blatant disregard of the election results and the precedent established throughout the French Fifth Republic, President Macron has now refused to appoint the winning coalition’s chosen candidate, Lucie Castets, as Prime Minister.

Macron’s move is a direct challenge to the democratic will of the people and an affront to the foundational tenets of political pluralism.

In France, parliamentary elections usually follow the presidential vote — both initially scheduled for 2027. However, in a surprising announcement in May 2024, President Macron called for snap elections, hoping to stave off the rise of the far-right illustrated in the European Parliament elections and shore up his own government. The gamble back-fired, handing the victory to the NFP and forcing Macron to appoint a new Prime Minister from their ranks.

Yet since the 7 July vote, a caretaker government has led France, with Macron citing the Paris Olympics as a reason to delay the appointment. On Monday, after a round of talks with the leaders of the centrist Ensemble and the right-wing National Rally, Macron has rejected the left wing coalition’s choice for PM, stating that a left-wing government “would be immediately censored by all the other groups represented in the National Assembly” and “the institutional stability of our country therefore requires us not to choose this option.”

This action is not merely a political manoeuvre to hold onto power, but a direct attack on French progressive forces. RN leaders Marine le Pen and Jordan Bardella described the NFP as a "danger" for France, and the leaders of both coalitions have vowed to move a no-confidence motion against any prime minister nominated from the NFP.

Macron has made strenuous efforts to isolate the radical left France Unbowed (LFI), which won the most seats of the four in the winning coalition. In a sinister divide-and-rule move, he appealed to three of the four left-wing parties — the Socialists, Greens and Communists — to break the political paralysis. He did not invite the LFI. 

Nonetheless, the three parties refused to break away, standing firm with their coalition. Socialist leader Olivier Faure said he would not be an "accomplice in a parody of democracy" while Marine Tondelier of the Greens declared that they could not "continue this circus, this sham consultation".

Democracy thrives on the diversity of ideas and the peaceful transition of power. The attempt to stifle political competition and subvert the democratic process is a direct assault on these core values.

The Observatory issues this alert as a call to democratic forces worldwide to oppose Emmanuel Macron’s authoritarian efforts to repress the will of the French people — and join the call for the 7 September mobilisation to defend it.

Photo: Flickr