2024-07-09 02:23:54
The appointment of the Prime Minister, including the Left Alliance members, is in the spotlight
In the second round of the French general election held on the 7th (local time), the left-wing coalition ‘New Popular Front (NFP)’ won first place with 182 seats, which means that French politics will inevitably be in a ‘chaotic and awkward coexistence’ for the time being. The centrist pan-government ‘Ensemble’ (168 seats) led by President Emmanuel Macron and the NFP have joined hands in the hopes of preventing the victory of the far-right National Rally (RN, 143 seats), but there are significant differences in the policies and ideologies of the two forces.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon (72), the leader of the far-left France Invincible (LFI) party that leads the NFP, said after the election results that he was “ready to govern” and expressed his intention to run the country by becoming prime minister. However, President Macron asked Prime Minister Gabriel Attal of the ruling Renaissance party, who announced his resignation, to “keep on as prime minister,” drawing a line on the appointment of a prime minister and active cooperation by NFP figures.
The Macron government has been pursuing fiscal austerity measures, such as raising the pension age. On the other hand, the NFP calls for a “return to the welfare state.” In particular, the NFP has been strongly advocating for the abolition of the “Macron-style” pension plan, expansion of public spending, and a 14% increase in the minimum wage.
The foreign policy and security policy are also very different. President Macron calls himself the “leader of Europe” and emphasizes integration centered on the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Representative Mélenchon counters with gradual withdrawal from NATO and French self-reliance. Foreign Minister Stephane Sejours, who belongs to the same ruling Renaissance Party as President Macron, said, “I will pursue a coalition with a party that excludes the far-left LFI.”
There is also confusion within the NFP, which claims to be a “left-wing big tent.” The NFP is a coalition of four parties: the far-left LFI and the Communist Party, and the moderate left-wing Socialist Party and the Green Party. The Washington Post (WP) pointed out that “the four parties that came together with the goal of defeating the far-right party may continue to cover up their differences.” Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure criticized on the 8th, “Mélenchon is the most divisive figure (in the NFP). He is unfit to be prime minister.”
Born in Morocco to Spanish immigrants, Mélenchon entered politics in 1976 by joining the Socialist Party. He ran for president three times in 2012, 2017, and 2022, but lost all three. He is an avid fan of Fidel Castro (1926-2016), who led the communist revolution in Cuba, and former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the “leader of the South American left.” Bloomberg reported on the 7th that “the business community has always been anxious about Mélenchon’s approach to power,” and that many are concerned about his anti-business stance.
Reporter Hong Jeong-su [email protected]
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2024-07-09 02:23:54