After 9 June, it is the PPE-S&D-Renew Europe coalition, bringing together the right, the socialists and the centrists in the Strasbourg assembly, which has every chance of being re-elected, given that it has obtained a comfortable absolute majority in the European Parliament at the expense of the far-right and radical right forces, whose gains are in fact much more limited than announced.
Certainly Marine Le Pen’s party has won seats in the European Parliament, but not enough to count or be heard, especially since any agreement with Giorgia Meloni seems improbable as Madame Meloni’s positions are the opposite of those of the party of Jordan Bardella. The President of the Italian Council is thus in favor of the recovery plan, support for Ukraine, the strengthening of NATO, the European migration pact which she considers effective in limiting illegal immigration.
Victory for Macron
The result of the coalition in place within the European Parliament is paradoxically a victory for Emmanuel Macron: these are the strategic priorities that he proposed for the European Union in terms of strengthening the sovereignty of the Union and transforming the Union as a global power capable of competing with the United States and China in the straight line desired by General de Gaulle who should be at the heart of the strategic agenda that the heads of state and government must adopt during the European Council on Thursday and Friday.
“Despite their differences, the extreme right could reshape the European political scene”
This agenda defines the framework for the work program of the European Parliament and the Commission for the period 2024-2029. These are also the personalities on whom he agreed with German Chancellor Scholz and Prime Minister Tusk for the positions of President of the Commission, of the European Council and of High Representative who should be chosen by this same European Council of June 27 and 28 and all three of which have the particularity of carrying a political agenda in accordance with the affirmation of Europe as a power whose advent has long been acclaimed by a large majority of French people of all political tendencies. They are also personalities close to France.
Europe power
For this European power agenda to see the light of day – on which a majority of heads of state and government confronted with the reality of war finally agree -, at the risk of American disengagement in the wake of an election of Donald Trump and the head-on competition between the United States and China which makes Europe their playground, a pro-European government in France is essential. Indeed, these parties located at the two extremes of the national political spectrum have an agenda contrary to this ambition of transforming the Union into power while Madame Meloni is in favor and Viktor Orban, although he criticizes the strengthening of the Union, does not oppose it in practice as he is convinced that the interest of his country is to be able to influence Europe as strongly as possible.
“It is not anti-fascist incantations that will move Europe forward”
For him as for Mrs Meloni, Europe makes it possible to increase the power of their country both at the national level and at the European and international level but also to better resist the crises of a world in upheaval. It is only at the National Rally and at LFI that we think the opposite. In fatigue, any government led by one extreme would automatically reduce France’s influence in Europe: just look at how Meloni’s Italy, even though it leads a coalition government, is struggling to make itself heard.
Union of Pro-Europeans
Worse, in a European Union where many decisions are actually taken unanimously even when it is not required, the new government could easily, if it so wishes, block European decision-making and delay the urgent transformation of the Union into a power. The consequence would be an acceleration of the old continent’s disengagement against the interests of the French and more generally of Europeans. This would also lead to a risk of resentment towards the French within the Union, which no one can wish for. When resentment is reborn, war becomes possible again.
“The case of the French RN illustrates the normalization of far-right parties in Europe”
In such a context, it would be desirable for pro-Europeans from all parties to unite, from Les Républicains through the current presidential majority to the Socialists and the Greens. It is regrettable that they did not do so before the start of the legislative campaign. The vote in the first round will determine the possibility of a pro-European government and could determine the future of the Union.
