John Downing: Is Emmanuel Macron’s election gamble to ‘vaccinate’ French against hard right a risk too far?
It is increasingly likely that Emmanuel Macron’s crazy gamble in calling national parliament elections on the back of a drubbing in the recent European elections will end in tears for the “Macronites”. The political wunderkind of Europe – who demolished the French party system in 2017 by romping to victory in the presidential and parliamentary elections – risks reaping a political whirlwind all of his own creation.
Since his success devastated the moderate French right and left, he has few allies to call on, and his dislike of building a party structure to shore up his own personality cult takes a toll.
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