France's Far Right at the Gates of Power

3 days ago

After a big loss in voting for the European Parliament, President Emmanuel Macron has gambled on new elections in France.

France - Figure 1
Photo The New York Times

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June 26, 2024, 6:00 a.m. ET

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The far right in France had a big win this month, crushing the party of President Emmanuel Macron in elections for the European Parliament. But the results did not affect France’s government at home — until Mr. Macron changed that.

Roger Cohen, the Paris bureau chief for The Times, discusses the huge political gamble Mr. Macron has taken, which has brought the far right closer than ever to gaining real power in France.

On today’s episode

Roger Cohen, the Paris bureau chief for The New York Times.

Image

Jordan Bardella might supplant Marine Le Pen as the leader of the National Rally party, which espouses tighter controls on immigration and far less support for Ukraine’s fight against Russia.Credit...Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters
Background reading

Battered by the far right in voting for the European Parliament, Emmanuel Macron called for new elections in France.

The president has challenged voters to test the sincerity of their support for the far right. Were the French letting off steam in the European elections, or did they really mean it?

France - Figure 2
Photo The New York Times

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Katrin Bennhold is the Berlin bureau chief. A former Nieman fellow at Harvard University, she previously reported from London and Paris, covering a range of topics from the rise of populism to gender. More about Katrin Bennhold

Roger Cohen is the Paris Bureau chief for The Times, covering France and beyond. He has reported on wars in Lebanon, Bosnia and Ukraine, and between Israel and Gaza, in more than four decades as a journalist. At The Times, he has been a correspondent, foreign editor and columnist. More about Roger Cohen

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