France in political limbo as Olympics loom
By Ebrahim Beheshti
Staff writer
As the clock ticks down to the Paris Olympics, France finds itself in the throes of political uncertainty. With just eight days until the grand sporting event kicks off, the country is grappling with the aftermath of President Emmanuel Macron’s high-stakes gamble that has left the nation in a state of political limbo.
Last month, Macron took a calculated risk by dissolving the National Assembly in response to the far-right’s victory in the European Union parliamentary elections.
While this bold move, deemed by many a political gamble, managed to prevent Marine Le Pen’s National Rally coalition from seizing power in the snap parliamentary elections, it simultaneously propelled the left-wing New Ecologic and Social People’s Union (NUPES) to the forefront, securing 182 seats and emerging as the election’s big winner.
The centrists, who support Macron, came in second with 168 seats, while the far-right National Rally, which had performed well in the first round, ended up in third place with 143 seats.
However, with no coalition obtaining the necessary 288 seats to claim a parliamentary majority, France has been left in a precarious position.
In a letter addressed to the French people, Macron called on all political forces that recognize themselves in the institutions of the Republic to form a clear majority in the National Assembly before the appointment of a new prime minister.
Page 2