PARIS — French diplomacy could be headed for an unprecedented period of turbulence if the far-right wins a snap parliamentary election, with President Emmanuel Macron and a potential National Rally (RN) prime minister jostling for the right to speak for France.
Marine Le Pen, President of the French far-right National Rally party parliamentary group, and Jordan Bardella, President of the French far-right National Rally party and head of the RN list for the European elections, attend a political rally during the party's campaign for the EU elections, in Paris, France, June 2, 2024.
During the three previous periods of "cohabitation" since 1958 — when the president and prime minister hail from different parties — tensions sometimes erupted but were quickly doused. "Emmanuel Macron is anticipating a victory he cannot win. So he won't be able to name Mr Breton," she told Europe 1 radio. "It is the prime minister's prerogative to name the European Commissioner."Experts say the French constitution, while awarding the president greater powers on foreign policy than in most parliamentary democracies, still leaves the main levers of policy in the prime minister's hands.
"Jordan does not intend to pick a fight with him but he has set red lines. On Ukraine, the president will not be able to send troops," she added, referring to Macron's refusal to rule out the possibility of sending French troops to Ukraine. By the time of a European summit later that year, the two men had managed to agree a common position even on divisive issues such as South African apartheid.
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