Summer 2024 poses a significant historic moment for France as it prepares to host the Olympic Summer Games amidst a watershed election that current President Emmanuel Macron warns could usher in a “Civil War.”
French Citizens Face a Contentious Election
French citizens are set to vote on Sunday in the most contentious election in decades. Earlier in June, a far-right group called National Rally won a landslide victory in the European Parliament.
Macron Announces Snap Election
Following the victory by conservatives over Macron’s centrist party, Macron surprised French citizens when he announced a “snap election” that consisted of two rounds of elections, June 30 and July 7, to determine party control of French politics. Macron’s critics and allies see the election prospects as a reckless gamble for Macron.
Political Showdown Between Extremes
On the opposite side of the National Rally is the left-wing group New Popular Front, which is inhabited by hard-left interests, posing a showdown between two extreme political agendas, with the centrist party falling a distant third, according to polls.
Macron Warns of Potential Civil War
President Macron called both groups “extreme” and warned that a “Civil war” could result from the clashing of the two oppositional agendas. Macron criticized both sides for inciting tension and division.
Condemnation from Both Parties
Both parties vying for power condemned Macron’s statements, calling them irresponsible and a fear-based strategy to malign the hard-right and hard-left groups in favor of his more moderate views.
Conservative Leader Eric Ciotti Responds
A conservative leader, Eric Ciotti, said of Macron, “This is a strategy of fear.”
Marine Le Pen Criticizes Macron
Marine Le Pen, a well-known member of the conservative interests, argued that Macron’s argument was “weak” and provided insight into his defeated mentality, revealing that “he thinks he’s lost this election.”
Left-Wing Response to Macron
On the left, Patrick Kanner of the Socialists in the Senate coalition said of Macron that his remarks reveal that “we are faced with someone who no longer controls anything.”
Liberal Criticism
Another liberal piggybacked on the sentiment, saying of Macron, “he’s always there to set things on fire.”
Upcoming Hallmark Debate
All groups will be represented in a hallmark debate on Tuesday night. Macron’s Prime Minister Gabriel Attal will represent the center, Bardella will represent the Far right, and Manual Bompard will present the left-wing perspective.
Recent Polls Indicate Conservative Lead
Recent polls have shown that the French government may follow the precedent set earlier this month by the conservative victory in the European Parliament.
First Round Polling Data
Specifically, polling for this Sunday’s first-round vote suggests that the conservatives could win 35 percent of the vote, followed by the left-wing coalition with 27 percent and that the centrists under Macron will fall last with 19.5 percent of the vote.
Second-Round Vote on July 7
The following final vote on July 7 will be held in constituencies or districts where no candidate wins 50 percent of the vote in the first round.
