The Paris Olympics aren’t the only high-stakes contest taking place in France this summer.
Driving the news: French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly, one of the two houses of parliament, and called a snap election after getting battered in the European Parliamentary elections by Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (NR).
- He hopes backlash to these results will net his party another term leading France’s lower house of parliament so it can continue its centrist, pro-EU agenda.
Big picture: The plan might backfire as the NR sees unprecedented mainstream success. Early polls show the party winning the first of the election’s two rounds with 35% of the vote. For comparison, it won ~19% of the vote in the first round of the 2022 legislative election.
- Macron will also face renewed competition from the other side, with four left and far-left parties forming a coalition that promises a “complete break” with Macron’s policies.
Why it matters: The NR has tapped into widespread discontent across France on issues like migration and green policies. The prospect of the NR in power has already tanked markets, and a win would be a galvanizing moment for the continent’s broader far right.
What’s next: The first round of elections begins June 30, followed by a run-off between remaining parties on July 7. Whoever’s left standing can then enjoy the Olympics.—QH