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Tag: Emmanuel Macron

  • Violence Erupts in France As Left-Wing Coalition Leads Snap Election |

    Paris: Violence erupted across France following a surprising exit poll suggesting a left-wing coalition’s lead in the snap election, dealing a blow to Marine Le Pen’s ambitions of forming France’s first hard-right government since the war, Fox News reported.

    Video footage captured masked demonstrators running through streets, igniting flares, and causing disturbances as riot police were dispatched nationwide.

    French election night turned turbulent as results showed a left-wing coalition poised to claim the majority of parliamentary seats, prompting both celebrations and unrest in Paris, Fox News reported.

    Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced his resignation as a far-left political alliance unexpectedly surged ahead in the snap elections. Thousands gathered at Paris’s Place de la Republique to cheer the news, highlighting widespread support for the coalition over Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron’s centrist bloc, which secured second place.

    Conservatives were left reeling by the upset, having anticipated Marine Le Pen’s National Rally to seize power, as reported by Fox News.

    Social media footage captured fiery scenes in Parisian streets, with authorities in riot gear managing crowds as tear gas was deployed amid clashes. Protesters reportedly threw Molotov cocktails and set off smoke bombs.

    The victorious left-wing coalition, known as the Popular Front, comprises France’s Socialist Party, the French Communist Party, the Ecologists, and France Unbowed. Their platform includes overturning Macron’s pension reforms and advocating for a retirement age of 60, along with plans to raise public sector wages, reinstate a wealth tax, and increase France’s minimum wage. The election results marked a significant shift in French politics, with the National Rally, led by Jordan Bardella, claiming substantial gains despite initial high expectations. He criticised Macron for purportedly “pushing France into uncertainty and instability” and expressed disappointment at falling short of projected outcomes despite an increase in parliamentary seats.

    Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron will wait to make decisions about a new government, according to a statement from Elysee Palace, following the announcement of preliminary results from the second round of parliamentary elections.

    In Paris, the announcement that the left-wing NFP was projected to surpass RN sparked jubilation among supporters. The result marked a turnaround from RN’s initial lead after the first round of elections. In a show of emotion, Parisians took to the streets, holding signs and cheering as the outcome was confirmed at 8 pm local time.

    Amidst the celebrations, expressions of relief were evident as flares were lit and chants of “everyone hates fascists” echoed through the streets.

    Initial projections were released at 8 PM Paris time (1800 GMT), with official results anticipated to be announced between late Sunday and Monday.

  • French National Election: What a Win for Far Right in France Means for India? ,

    France National Election: Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party achieved historic gains in the first round of France’s parliamentary election on Sunday, according to exit polls. However, the final outcome will be determined after days of negotiations leading up to next week’s run-off. Exit polls from Ipsos, Ifop, OpinionWay, and Elabe indicated that the National Rally garnered around 34% of the vote. This development represents a significant setback for President Emmanuel Macron, who called the snap election following his party’s defeat by the RN in the European Parliament elections earlier this month.

    The RN’s chances of securing power next week hinge on the political negotiations of its rivals in the coming days. Historically, center-right and center-left parties have joined forces to prevent the RN from gaining power, a strategy known as the “republican front.” However, this dynamic is now more uncertain than ever. If no candidate secures 50% of the vote in the first round, the top two contenders automatically advance to the second round, along with any candidate who receives 12.5% ​​of registered voters. In the run-off, the candidate with the most votes wins the constituency.

    Possible Prime Minister

    Jordan Bardella, the 28-year-old RN party president, said he was ready to be prime minister – if his party wins an absolute majority. He has ruled out trying to form a minority government and neither Macron nor the NFP leftist group will form an alliance with him.

    What does a win for far-right mean for India?

    Trading and Investment

    The RN’s economic policies are generally protectionist. This could lead to a reduction in French openness to foreign trade and investment, potentially affecting economic relations with India.

    Defence and Strategic Ties

    France and India have strong defence ties, including joint military exercises and defence procurement. A far-right government might re-evaluate existing agreements, which could either strengthen or weaken defence cooperation depending on its strategic priorities.

    Indian Diaspora

    A far-right government might implement stricter immigration controls, which could affect the large Indian diaspora in France, particularly students and professionals. Tighter immigration policies could impact Indian students, workers, and tourists, potentially reducing the movement of people between the two countries.

    EU Trade Policies

    If the RN influences the EU’s trade policies, it could lead to changes in the EU-India trade relationship. Protectionist policies might make it harder for Indian goods and services to access the French and broader European markets.

  • After Heavy Defeat in EU Vote, French President Macron Announces Snap Parliamentary Elections on June 30 |

    New Delhi: French President Emmanuel Macron has dissolved the country’s parliament, as well as the National Assembly, calling for snap elections after exit polls showcased his party’s heavy loss in European parliamentary elections on Sunday, according to CNN. Preliminary estimates showed that the far-right National Rally (RN) party won 31.5 per cent of the vote, more than double the share of Macron’s Renaissance Party, which barely managed to secure second place with 15.2 per cent of the vote, ahead of the Socialists in third place with 14.3 per cent.

    The leader of the RN, Jordan Bardella, called on Macron to dissolve the French parliament in a celebratory speech following the release of the exit poll.

    “This unprecedented defeat for the current government marks the end of a cycle, and Day 1 of the post-Macron era,” Bardella said, according to CNN.

    Meanwhile, Macron announced in an hour-long national address that he will dissolve the lower house of parliament in France and organise parliamentary elections. According to Macron, there will be two rounds: the first on June 30 and the second on July 7.

    “I have decided to give you back the choice of your parliamentary future by voting. I am therefore dissolving the National Assembly this evening,” Macron said in an announcement on Sunday.

    “This decision is serious, heavy. But it is, above all, an act of trust. Trust in you, my dear compatriots. In the capacity of the French people to make the most just decision,” the French President said.

    Parliamentary elections are used in the French system to choose the 577 members of the National Assembly, the lower house.

    The country’s president is chosen through separate elections that aren’t expected to take place again until 2027.

    The Ensemble coalition, which included Macron’s Renaissance party, was unable to secure an outright majority in the legislative elections held in 2022 and was obliged to look for outside assistance.

    The EU elections represent the world’s second-largest democratic exercise, trailing only behind India’s elections in terms of scale. With almost 400 million voters across the EU, the electorate will select 720 members of the European Parliament, spanning from the Arctic circle to the borders of Africa and Asia.

    The outcome of these elections will shape policies on global issues ranging from climate change and defence to migration and international relations with major players like China and the United States.

  • France Becomes First Country To Constitutionalise Women's Right To Abortion | world news

    France on Monday made history by becoming the first country in the world to guarantee abortion rights in its constitution, CNN reported. The initiative was endorsed by legislators from both houses of the French Parliament, with a majority of 780 to 72 in favour, achieving the required three-fifths threshold to amend the French constitution.

    Remarkably, after the US Supreme Court in 2022 overturned the Roe v. Wade verdict that acknowledged women's constitutional right to abortion, a movement was launched in France to explicitly safeguard the right in its fundamental law. The final phase of the parliamentary process was the voting on Monday, which occurred at the Palace of Versailles, southwest of Paris, during a special gathering of lawmakers. The bill was passed with a large majority earlier this year by the French National Assembly and Senate.

    According to the amendment, abortion is a “guaranteed freedom” in France. Legislators and certain groups had pushed for tougher wording that would clearly designate abortion as a “right.” Hailed by lawmakers as a historic step, the measure demonstrated France's unwavering support for reproductive rights at a time when abortion rights are under attack in the US and in regions of Europe like Hungary where far-right parties are gaining ground, according to CNN. “My body, my choice” was illuminated on the Eiffel Tower after the results of the vote. Before the vote, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal stated that MPs owed women who had previously been forced to undergo illegal abortions a “moral debt.”

    “Above all, we're sending a message to all women: your body belongs to you,” Attal said. French President Emmanuel Macron said the government would hold a formal ceremony celebrating the amendment's passage on Friday, International Women's Rights Day, CNN reported.

    France first legalized abortion in 1975, after a campaign led by then-Health Minister Simone Veil, an Auschwitz survivor who became one of the country's most famous feminist icons.

    According to CNN, while abortion is a highly divisive issue in US politics that often falls along party lines, in France it is widely supported. Many of the lawmakers who voted against the amendment did so not because they opposed abortion, but because they felt the measure was unnecessary, given the wide support for reproductive rights.