PARIS – The center-right coalition backing French President Emmanuel Macron was scheduled to run in Sunday’s crucial parliamentary elections, but a strong showdown by a left-wing coalition and a far-right wave prevented Mr Macron’s forces from securing an absolute , a setback that could complicate his second term. Predictions based on the preliminary vote count gave Mr Macron’s 205 to 250 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly, the lowest and strongest in parliament – more than any other political group, but less than half. For the first time in 20 years, a newly elected president appeared to have failed to garner an overwhelming majority in the National Assembly, which will not end Mr Macron’s domestic agenda, but will shift influence back to Parliament after a first term in office. which Mr Macron’s top-down style of governing had largely marginalized lawmakers. In 2017, when Mr Macron was first elected, his party and his allies won a 350-seat majority in the lower house of parliament, which was largely in line with his plans. This time, however, he must pay much more attention to the balance of power in the National Assembly. Mr Macron’s coalition, known as the Ensemble, should still be able to pass some bills. But his party, La République en Marche, will depend much more on its centrist allies than in his first term, especially to pass controversy plans such as his plan to raise the legal retirement age from 65 to 62. In some cases, Mr Macron may even need to reach out to rival lawmakers, most likely to the right, to secure a bill. The vote was also marred by record low turnout, a warning sign for Mr Macron, who has vowed to rule closer to the people for a second term. Only about 46% of the French electorate went to the polls, according to forecasts, the second lowest level since 1958. The alliance of left-wing parties, known as the Nouvelle Union Populaire ologcologique et Sociale, or NUPES, and led by left-wing veteran Jean-Luc Mélenchon, was expected to win 150 to 190 seats. That was not enough to seize control of the National Assembly and force Mr Macron to appoint Mr Mélenchon as Prime Minister, as NUPES had hoped. But it was a strong demonstration for left-wing parties that had been largely wiped out as desperately divided. Marin Lepen’s far-right party was also projected to secure 75 to 100 seats in the National Assembly, a record that could make it the third largest political force in the lower house. The alliance is dominated by France Unbowed, Mr Mélenchon’s party, and also includes the Socialist, Green and Communist parties. It will continue to be the main opposition force in the National Assembly, but significant policy differences between coalition members on issues such as the European Union could reappear as soon as Parliament convenes. Lawmakers are elected for five years, and Mr Macron will not have to face midterm elections for the next five years, ensuring that his majority cannot be overthrown overnight. But his party will depend much more on its allies to maintain control. This could give more leverage to parties such as Horizons, a center-right group founded by former Prime Minister Macron Édouard Philippe, who is a more fiscal hawk and could call for changes in legislation. The far right was one of the driving forces in the presidential race, but its leader, Marin Le Pen, was defeated by Mr Macron and then ran a weak campaign for the parliamentary elections, although his party is still expected to secure a record number. positions. Instead, much of the campaign was a bruised confrontation between the left-wing coalition and Mr Macron’s forces, with both sides describing a possible victory for their opponents as an unchanging disaster. The left-wing coalition has promised voters that it could metaphorically “elect” Mr Mélenchon as prime minister, and he has used his rhetoric to mobilize left-wing voters following a disastrous presidential election in which the left was largely divided. Mr Mélenchon has pledged that his coalition will raise the legal retirement age to 60, two years earlier than it is now, raise the monthly minimum wage to 1,500 euros or $ 1,580, revise the Constitution to reduce Presidential powers and to phase out nuclear power. Mr Macron, on the other hand, appeared more liberated and more preoccupied with France’s diplomatic efforts to support Ukraine in its war against Russia. Speaking on the asphalt of the airport before a trip to Eastern Europe that took him to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, this week, he had urged voters to give him a “solid majority” in the “highest interest of the nation”, but did he rarely campaigns himself. Mr Macron also hoped to breathe new life into his party’s campaign by appointing new ministers and, for the first time in 30 years, a female prime minister, Elizabeth Bourne. But his cabinet was immediately shaken by the crisis, including allegations of rape against a minister and outcry over the government’s handling of a chaotic Champions League final outside Paris.
