A good start, but that’s all. The party recruited many political neophytes. Will they develop the skills to effectuate a complex and difficult platform, or will they fragment into practical types and ideologues, perhaps of several varieties? That is the big question facing France. So, stay tuned.
I envy the French and the Canadians. Imagine being able to look at a photo of your head of government and not getting sick to your stomach.
This was a centrist victory, make no mistake about that, but diminished by the relatively low turnout.
It is hard to believe how a recently formed party has come to dominate the deeply entrenched establishment of France’s Fifth Republic in its 58th year. Let us see how the winner of the prestigious Fields Medal (mathematics), Cedric Villani, and his ilk offer fresh and thoughtful solutions in the legislature to France’s and Europe’s challenges.
You know, I’m getting a little tired of this narrative about being tarnished by a low turnout… because it inevitably turns into one of the same bullshit stories we always get about how a democratic victory is really a win for republicans. Repubs don’t ever sweat a small margin - they declare victory and a mandate. The Dems and our like-minded global counterparts should learn this lesson.
I think the example of Trumpp has struck only a minor blow against the political power of nationalism, and an even smaller blow against the attraction of new faces in leadership, but I think he’s really damaged the attractiveness of the kind of person who is willing to run on a mostly nationalistic and racist platform.
One reason for the low turnout may be simple election fatigue. They just went through two rounds for the Presidential a month ago and now this is the first of two rounds for the legislative. That’s a lot of spring Sundays, and yesterday was a particularly warm beautiful day in Paris.
Macron definitely set himself up as a strong leader for France after he went after Trump multiple times and then dressed down Putin in front of the cameras, I wouldn’t doubt that’s one of the main reasons his party is looking to do so well in Parliament.
It should be interesting to see how long a centrist party in France can hold power, or just remain intact because Macron is the keystone to the whole party.
A lot of people have portrayed the last few years as a triumph of populism and nationalism everywhere. I think that’s wrong. It’s the triumph of anyone who can portray him or her self as new and different. Those who can do that successfully have won whether on the loony right (Trump), the center (Macron and Trudeau) or the left (Corbyn, who made significant gains though not enough to win, the Five Star Movement in Italy and Podemos in Spain). The Dems need to heed that. In 2020 Trump will be the tired old face and ripe for defeat if the Dems find a young exciting candidate, regardless of whether he/she is a moderate or progressive. Winning matters. First win, then worry about ideology, because the wonderful things a losing candidate might have done are irrelevant.
I wish Macron well and hope he can solve some of France’s problems.
The meaning of the results in UK and France are clear: any association with Trump is toxic for European politicians who aspire to acquire national power. Trump has breathed new life into the “Ugly American” stereotype: ignorant, stupid, loud, vulgar, and crass, and Europeans have long defined themselves in direct opposition to those attributes. As Trump’s domestic political troubles grow in extent, the attractiveness of associating oneself with him for European politicians will dramatically lessen—nobody wants to tie themselves to a loser, especially one from across the Atlantic whose idiotic, buffoonish qualities manifest themselves every day.