'French parliamentary arithmetic points to PM with coalition from left or populist (far) right'

Emmanuel Macron now confronts what could very well be an existential crisis of the Fifth Republic. Sébastien Lecornu, Prime Minister number 7, was unable to build a working majority after rolling the dice with the usual suspects, that included former PMs, and so he promptly relinquished power. Parliamentary arithmetic suggests a mission impossible à la française: forging a coalition with the left or pandering to the populist far right. The French president fears either path will further fracture a nation deep in crisis. Since re-election in 2022, Macron has wielded an unwavering determination to lean towards a centrist, often centre-right, PM to unify France, ironically obtaining the polar opposite effect and deepening division. Could a moderate socialist bridge centre‑left and centre‑right and offer a lifeline to France’s strong executive tradition of the partially-democratic, and once-pragmatic, Fifth Republic? To properly address a political crisis in uncharted waters, Eve Irvine welcomes Dr Nicholas Startin, Political Scientist, Associate Professor of International Relations at John Cabot University.