Ahead of General Election, Macron Appeals for Majority Support of Ruling Party: "France Must Avoid Chaos"

French President Emmanuel Macron [Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] French President Emmanuel Macron appealed for support ahead of the general elections scheduled for the 12th and 19th of this month, stating that the centrist ruling party must become the majority to prevent "France's turmoil."

According to AFP and other sources on the 9th (local time), President Macron visited Tarn in the southern region and said that the ruling party must secure a clear majority in this month's elections to promote pro-business reforms and avoid chaos. He warned that his Renaissance party, part of the centrist pro-government coalition, is being challenged between the far-left parties allied with the Socialist Party (PS) and the far-right parties such as Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN).

France will elect 577 members of the National Assembly for a five-year term through two rounds of voting on the 12th and 19th of this month. If no candidate wins a majority in the first round, the top candidate and those who secured more than 12.5% of registered voters' support from second to fourth place will compete again. To ensure smooth governance, at least 289 seats, a majority, must be secured. Currently, La R?publique En Marche, led by President Macron, holds about 270 seats and maintains a parliamentary majority by forming an alliance with a group holding 80 seats.

Recent polls indicate that the centrist camp led by President Macron is unlikely to secure a majority. According to an Ipsos poll, the pro-government coalition is projected to hold between 250 and 290 seats this week. Until last week, the same poll expected 275 to 310 seats, but the number has decreased within a week. Other polls have suggested the coalition could secure between 285 and 335 seats.

Having won re-election, President Macron needs a parliamentary majority to implement policies such as pension reform and tax cuts and to ensure smooth governance. Failure to secure this majority could lead to expanding alliances with the right-wing and potentially slow down policy decisions.

In particular, if the left-wing coalition NUPES gains a majority, President Macron's policy to extend the retirement age will face significant obstacles. Jean-Luc M?lenchon, leader of La France Insoumise (LFI), has expressed his intention to block Macron's retirement age extension plan if he becomes Prime Minister.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.