“Emmanuel Macron killed the presidential majority by deciding to dissolve the National Assembly”. The blow does not come from the opposition, but from former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe on Thursday on TF1. “It wasn’t me who left, it wasn’t rebels who would have upset him”, even attacked the former tenant of Matignon. On Wednesday, Gabriel Attal emancipated himself from Emmanuel Macron by calling on the French to “choose” as Prime Minister in the legislative elections. The head of state appointed him five months ago to Matignon, but clipped his wings with the dissolution.
Gabriel Attal more popular than Emmanuel Macron
“The Prime Minister is trying to soften the image of the executive. Basically for the moment, Gabriel Attal is more popular, better perceived than the President of the Republic who has an extremely divided image” analyzes political scientist Bruno Cautres. The president is no longer popular with some French people according to the “Understanding the French vote” survey carried out on June 6 and 7 by Ipsos. It emerged in the motivations for the vote, “a very degraded perception of the image of the President of the Republic”. 56% of French people do not appreciate “neither the personality nor the action of Emmanuel Macron” et 12 % “appreciate his action, but not his personality”according to the institute.
In the majority of deputies disappointed
On the ground, the deputies of the Renaissance party mainly choose not to campaign with the face of the president on their leaflets and their posters, but they demand the support of Gabriel Attal. “It says a lot about the current climate within the majority and a sometimes feeling of dismay which may have affected the ranks of the majority after the announcement of the dissolution” believes Bruno Cautres. The head of state wanted to communicate extensively during this legislative campaign, but he is temporarily sidelined.
“It is undoubtedly one of the last cartridges that the majority can try to play to try to redress the situation, by trying to erase the image of the anti-Macron referendum” explains Bruno Cautres.
Towards the end of Macronism
Beyond the vote of June 30 and July 7, it is perhaps the page of Macronism which is turning. “He’s decided to disband. All right, we’re moving on, and something else can’t be exactly the same as before.” advanced Thursday, Édouard Philippe on TF1. For his part, Gabriel Attal also explained that if he was renamed at Matignon: “there would be a change, the executive would no longer function as before.”
“In a certain way, the dissolution may have precipitated the time for choices for the majority. Since Emmanuel Macron cannot run again in 2027, for the majority, today, it is a question of starting to pass the message that there will be life after Macron” concluded Bruno Cautres. Whatever the result of the legislative elections, the problem of Emmanuel Macron’s succession could become increasingly important in the ranks of the majority.
