The tumultuous French National Assembly elections concluded nearly two weeks ago, and President Emmanuel Macron has finally broken his silence on forming a new government. On the evening of the 10th, Macron addressed the nation in an open letter, calling for political forces with “republican values” to form a “stable” governing coalition and appoint a new prime minister. This move, widely seen as an attempt to exclude both far-right and far-left parties from the new government, immediately sparked strong opposition. France currently faces significant political uncertainty—left-wing alliances, the ruling party, and the far-right each hold nearly a third of the Assembly seats. The biggest challenge for Macron is forming an effective government to manage the country, with the immediate priority being the smooth opening of the Paris Olympics in two weeks.
Macron’s Open Letter to the French People
On the 10th, Macron commented publicly on the election results for the first time since the National Assembly elections. He published an open letter to the nation through “France Blue” and several regional media outlets, urging political forces with “republican values” to engage in sincere dialogue for the country’s stability. Macron reviewed the election, noting that the high voter turnout “demonstrates the vitality of the republic” and concluded from the results that “you have clearly rejected the far-right entering the government.”
In his letter, Macron stated, “This election has no winner. No political force can independently achieve an absolute majority; these electoral alliances and parties are all minorities, with only ‘republican forces’ holding an absolute majority.” Macron emphasized that he would appoint a new prime minister and form a new government based on “republican” principles but would need to “give all political forces some time to reach a compromise in calm and respect for everyone.” During this period, the current government will continue to perform its duties, handling daily affairs according to “republican” ideals.
Political Reactions and Criticisms
Criticism from Le Monde
Le Monde described Macron’s delay in forming a new government as a “policy of appeasement.” The paper reported that Macron’s actions would undoubtedly reignite political tensions in France, drawing severe criticism from other parties. They blamed him for the current mess by insisting on early elections against the majority public opinion at an awkward time and now refusing to bear the consequences.
Response from Other Parties
Hours after releasing the open letter, Macron flew to Washington to attend the NATO summit, a move also criticized by the media. Le Parisien quoted a senior government figure calling the trip “dangerous, even crazy,” suggesting the president should “cancel this trip.” Another minister-level official described it as “another gamble” by Macron.
Reuters noted that although Macron did not explicitly call for the exclusion of the far-right National Rally and the far-left “Unsubmissive France” from the coalition, his emphasis on “republican values” was widely understood as an attempt to exclude these parties from the new government.
Far-Right and Far-Left Responses
Macron’s move caused an uproar, plunging French politics into chaos. The far-right National Rally leader Bardella criticized Macron’s letter as “irresponsible,” claiming it “paralyzes the country.” Le Pen accused Macron of abandoning the left-wing parties he had allied with to secure parliamentary seats within days, saying, “This circus is becoming unseemly.”
Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure accused Macron of “disrespecting the French people’s vote… ignoring the election results is damaging to the nation and democracy.” Far-left “Unsubmissive France” leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon denounced Macron for “refusing to acknowledge the electoral results,” likening it to restoring the royal veto abolished by the French Revolution. Mélenchon argued, “The president’s refusal to recognize the electoral results is unprecedented in the democratic world,” and held Macron responsible for empowering the new Popular Front to form a new government.
Challenges and Uncertainty Ahead
Analysts believe Macron’s alliance with the left-wing coalition during the election led to the National Rally, which led the first round, securing only the third-most seats. However, Macron is unwilling to share power with the left-wing coalition, which strongly opposes his proposed pension reform to significantly raise the retirement age, demands an increase in the minimum wage, and wants to reimpose the wealth tax abolished by Macron.
Governance and Stability
“The Wall Street Journal” reported that Macron’s move was an attempt to regain power and buy time. “The New York Times” noted that Macron’s actions would exacerbate the already tense French political situation. The election split the National Assembly into three major factions—left-wing, centrist, and far-right—with no signs of reconciliation.
“Most French citizens believe the country cannot be governed after the parliamentary elections,” reported BFM TV. After the second round of voting, no party won an absolute majority, leaving people questioning who will govern the country. A recent poll showed that 74% of French people believe France will be “ungovernable” following the left-wing election victory. The report highlighted that most French people do not favor any of the major proposed government formations: only 30% supported a new government formed by the left-wing coalition; 39% backed a coalition between the president’s camp, Republicans, and the left-wing, excluding “Unsubmissive France,” but this plan was opposed by 69% of left-wing coalition supporters; a third supported a “center-right” alliance of the president’s faction and Republicans, while National Rally supporters rejected all proposed solutions.
Future Political Landscape
TASS reported that no party won an absolute majority in the French parliamentary elections, making it difficult to form a stable new government. This signals considerable uncertainty for the future of French politics. The future government’s fragility will exacerbate the polarization already evident in the elections, reducing France’s influence both domestically and in Europe, edging the country towards a political crisis. Reuters noted that Macron’s early parliamentary elections have led France into “uncharted waters,” with no party securing enough seats to govern alone, and significant political divisions making it hard to envision a clear path to forming a new government.
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