It is still difficult, Monday June 10, to assess all the consequences for France of the European elections of June 9. One thing is certain, the overwhelming victory of the National Rally (RN) and the decline of the presidential majority will diminish its influence in the European Parliament and, consequently, on the community scene.
With 13 MEPs, compared to 23 today, when the National Rally should have 30, the presidential majority suffered a serious setback in Strasbourg. The Liberal group, of which it is the first national delegation, has also lost ground but, at this stage, it remains the third political force in the Hemicycle.
For Valérie Hayer, the president of the group, who was also the head of the Macronist list for the European elections, “Renew is a centrist and central force to form a majority in the European Parliament”alongside the European right-wing European People’s Party (EPP) – the first group, which emerged strengthened from Sunday’s election – and the social democrats (S&D) – who for their part limited the damage.
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“France is weakened in the European Parliament”recognizes Macronist MEP Pascal Canfin, for whom “the challenge now is that she keeps the presidency of Renew”. Valérie Hayer knows she will have to fight. “If we lost the presidency of the group before the legislative elections, it would send a very bad signal”explains a French diplomat.
Sanitary cord
Valérie Hayer will also work hard to ensure that Renew does not let itself be overtaken by the current fourth group, the far-right European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), which brings together Fratelli d’Italia, the post-fascist party of Giorgia Meloni, Reconquest! or the Polish PiS. This in fact increases contacts with the numerous parties which today are not affiliated with any structure – in total, we are talking about a hundred elected officials – and a large majority of which are nationalist.
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In order to neutralize the influence of ECR, Valérie Hayer campaigns for the establishment of a cordon santé against him, which would deprive him of any position of responsibility within Parliament. Identity and Democracy (ID), another far-right group which notably welcomes the RN, is, for its part, already subject to it.
But this battle is not won either. At Renew or the S&Ds, the subject is not consensual. As for the EPP, it is opposed to it, although it wishes to retain the possibility of making alliances with ECR, on a case by case basis, when the majority of the center to which it belongs does not give it satisfaction.
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