Far-right majority seeming more distant 48 hours before French election final round, analyst says

(5 Jul 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Paris, France - 5 July 2024
LEGAL NOTICE: Subscribers should ensure their broadcasters on any medium during the period FRIDAY JULY 5 at 22 :00GMT TO SUNDAY JULY 7 AT 18 :00GMT comply with the French electoral code, notably ARTICLE L49 ELECTORAL CODE, which prohibits the broadcast or publication by any means of communication, to the French public, messages that have the character of “electoral propaganda.”
1. Various of Eiffel tower
2. Various exteriors of National Assembly
3. Set up shot of political scientist Dominique Moïsi
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Dominique Moïsi, political scientist:
"Well, it looks as if on the first ballot, the French wanted to punish their president Emmanuel Macron. But on the second ballot, they seem to be scared with their own audacity and don't want to give power to the extreme right, and, will make sure that they do not have a majority to govern, even if they will have, a slim relative majority, probably."
5. Various of campaign posters
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Dominique Moïsi, political scientist:
"We are in the unknown. The unknown unknown. Because coalition governments are not a French tradition. They are the obvious solution in most of European countries, from Germany to the Netherlands to the Nordic countries. But it's not the case, what we've had is cohabitation government, a president from one tendency and a prime minister from another one, reflecting the majority in the parliament, a technical government. We've never had it, in France. It's not in the French tradition either I think. Can we become mature? That's the question which these elections are asking us. Can we become mature and adjust to what is the most common solution in the rest of continental Europe? I'm not sure."
7. Cutaway of Dominique Moïsi
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Dominique Moïsi, political scientist:
"You could have a coalition of all the Republican parties, i.e. all the parties without the National Rally on the extreme right and the LFI on the extreme left, i.e., a coalition of the moderates. Probably, given the fact that Macron has been severely defeated, around a personality from the center left. So it's the paradox of this election. It has demonstrated the strength of the hard right. And it may end up with a prime minister coming from the center left. A strange, paradoxical situation, which poses a problem for public opinion. I mean, is it what they wanted?"
9. Cutaway of Dominique Moïsi
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Dominique Moïsi, political scientist:
"The paradox of the present situation is that as a result of the last two elections in Great Britain and in France, there will be more Great Britain and less France. At the NATO summit, the strongest personality, will be the new prime minister of Great Britain and the weak personality will be the president of France. And this not withstanding the fact that, eight years ago, Great Britain has left the European Union."
11. Wide pan from Dominique Moïsi to a globe
12. Close up of France on the globe
13. Wide shot of Rue de Rivoli
14. Mid of people on Opera square
STORYLINE:
The French people sought to punish centrist President Emmanuel Macron in the first round of legislative elections, but ahead of the final vote a far-right majority is now seeming more distant, according to Paris-based political analyst Dominique Moïsi.
"It looks as if on the first ballot, the French wanted to punish their president Emmanuel Macron. But on the second ballot, they seem to be scared with their own audacity and don't want to give power to the extreme right," Moïsi said.
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Viva le france!