Macron’s power in Europe is draining

In Brussels over the last two days EU heads of state and government have been carving up the ‘top jobs’. France is represented by President Emmanuel Macron, whose party took a lashing in the European elections, diminishing further his international standing. By contrast, Marine Le Pen’s victorious Rassemblement National, now on track to win the 7 July general elections, was not present. When RN forms a government it will have to live with the consequences of the President’s decisions for at least five years. It is no coincidence, therefore, that on Wednesday night Marine Le Pen gave an interview opening the way to a constitutional struggle with the head of state on one of his most important roles: the so-called presidential ‘reserved domain’ of defence and foreign affairs. This has serious implications for France, but also for the EU. 

As 7 July approaches so too does the prospect of a hostile ‘cohabitation’ between a centrist and internationalist president and a right-wing nationalist prime minister, Jordan Bardella.