John Keiger John Keiger

Is France heading towards its Sixth Republic?

Jean-Luc Melenchon (Credit: Getty images)

Against a backdrop of considerable tension – barricaded city centre shop-fronts and 30,000 police on standby – a radically divided France has voted in the second round of the legislative elections. To general amazement, the largest party in the National Assembly is the left-wing Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) – but none of the major political groupings is able to form a majority government. 

So what happens in France now? Who will actually govern?

France will probably be ungovernable for some time to come

First in line to form a government must be the New Popular Front. But unlike Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) or Macron’s Ensemble, no putative prime minister has been put forward by the block. And for good reason: Jean-Luc Mélenchon, France’s answer to Jeremy Corbyn, has insisted the prime minister must be chosen from the ranks of the largest party – eg, his La France Insoumise party (LFI). Others in his left-wing NFP coalition do not agree.

John Keiger
Written by
John Keiger

Professor John Keiger is the former research director of the Department of Politics and International Studies at Cambridge. He is the author of France and the Origins of the First World War.

Topics in this article

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in