German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday he was "relieved" that the eurosceptic far right failed to win a snap election in top ally France, noting Berlin should be able to keep working with Paris to motor the European Union.
Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN) had been favourite to top the polls. Instead the election threw up a hung parliament, with a leftist alliance unexpectedly taking the top spot but no group winning a majority, heralding tricky negotiations to form a government.
Germany and France, the two top economies in the European Union, have traditionally powered decision-making together in the unwieldy bloc of 27 member states.
"It would have been a major challenge if the French president had had to enter into a coalition with a right-wing populist party," Scholz, a Social Democrat, told reporters.
"This has now been averted and we now hope that the president, but also the elected representatives, will succeed in constructively forming a government."
As the largest EU country by population and economy, Germany had a greater interest in the success of the bloc than any other country, which was only possible through cooperation with France, Scholz said.
"This result gives us the basis to keep pursuing this task," he said. "It won't be easy, but it's worth the effort."
LOOKING ELSEWHERE FOR ALLIES
Relations between the EU's two biggest powers became strained after Scholz took office in late 2021 amid policy differences and a lack of chemistry between the German leader and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron.
Domestic challenges - infighting in Scholz's three-way coalition and weak voter support for Macron - also hampered cooperation, slowing EU decision-making, although this has picked up over the past year amid shows of unity.
Scholz said on Monday he was pleased about the results not just because of the "important Franco-German friendship", but "on a personal level, given the good personal relationship I have with the French President."
German government officials had previously expressed surprise at Macron's decision to hold a snap election at a time of major challenges to the EU from trade tensions with China, Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the possible re-election of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
German Minister of State for Europe, Anna Luehrmann, told Reuters it was positive that pro-European forces had a majority in the French parliament.
Still, she said partnerships with other countries such as Poland and Britain were growing in importance after elections there yielded more like-minded governments.
Germany and Poland last week held government consultations together for the first time in six years and Luehrmann said Berlin should quickly seek to identify concrete areas of closer cooperation, especially on security and climate protection.
© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024.
31 Comments
Zaphod
The European elites are so determined from preventing the populist parties (which they mislabel as "far right" or worse) to take control that they resort to election engineering to prevent that. In case of France, they cobbled together a Frankenstein party of communists, extreme leftists, and conservatives to get a majority over the populists. Which fundamentally makes France ungovernable. Something similar is planned for Germany, where Scholz red-green coalition has already been a disaster for Germany.
itsonlyrocknroll
The crucial responsibility of government, of leadership in not political ideology, (left right)
But representing the nation, its people as a whole.
I understand there have been riots in Lyon, Paris etc.
Yesterday my friends in Lyon and I had a debate, I suggested that Macron, for his personality flaws, his political peacock posturing, his arrogance is not to blame for Frances economic woes.
Implementation, Macron could have certainly phased in, with a more pronounced safely net for the lower income bracket.
My Japan French voip connection was close to melting with indignation, how dare you very much from 12000 miles away in Japan suggesting Macron its not a total moron.
Politics and religion a sure-fire way to lose friends.
Now Macron has had to refuse his current Prime Minster resignations, essentially having to beg Prime minister Gabriel Attal to remain in office.
Subjecting the people of France to years of political paralysis, the most toxic hung parliament in political memory, to block the hard-right RN only to gift hand victory to the extreme left-wing New Popular Front, led by France Unbowed, the politically grotesque Jean-Luc Melenchon.
I honest wonder what measure of relief “Germany's Scholz” is referring to, in total denial, delusion
PTownsend
Did Charles Veitch approve this post?
TokyoLiving
And the triumph of the left, both in the UK and in France, is a message that the world is waking up and uniting against the extreme right and fascism.
With that precedent, it is very possible that the Democrats united will beat Trump in November.
Changing Joe rises the possibilities..
Antiquesaving
The jumping for joy, the "the far right is beaten" the "France rejects far right" etc... by the MSM and political pundits is a bit disturbing and frankly a joke!
Looking at the results based on numbers of seats it may look like France rejected the Right/far right but let's look at the popular vote to see what the French really think.
The NFP got 26.3%
Ens (Macron) 24.7%
RN got 37.1%
LR (centre right/far right) 5.1% and another ultra far right got 0.2%
Others more fringe got a few more percentages.
All totaled the right/far right got about 45% of the popular vote.
The centre/left took just over 52% and the fringe far left took the remainder.
I don't see the "French rejecting" the far right, but a slight majority did, and had 200 candidates not dropped out under backroom dealings, the results would be very different.
The facts remain, France is clearly still very much decided at near 50/50 with left/far left and Right/far right and if the elections were based on actual popular vote the "relief" so many are expressing today would be shock and despair as they see the reality of the feelings of the population in France.
France is as divided as ever despite the results based on seats won!
Toblerone
And the triumph of the left, both in the UK and in France,
You really think the contemporary UK Labour party is “the left”?
itsonlyrocknroll
German Minister of State for Europe, Anna Luehrmann, told Reuters it was positive that pro-European forces had a majority in the French parliament.
Such gibberish nonsense from German Minister of State for Europe, Anna Luehrmann.
Surprise leftist victory: Who is France's New Popular Front?
https://www.dw.com/en/surprise-leftist-victory-who-is-frances-new-popular-front/a-69599248
But the Socialist Party is only the second-strongest party in the NFP alliance, with Hollande's dismal approval ratings having paved the way for the rise of Melenchon's LFI. The firebrand, himself a former Socialist, now leads a party that is much more left-leaning and eurosceptic.
Jean-Luc Melenchon is intent on an unprecedented 150 billion euro tax and spend, borrowing spree,
Completely at odds with the EU wide debt, spending, also limiting what all member state governments can borrow, by a wide margin.
This was passed by the EU parliament on 23rd of April.
Toblerone
The facts remain, France is clearly still very much decided at near 50/50 with left/far left and Right/far right and if the elections were based on actual popular vote the "relief" so many are expressing today would be shock and despair as they see the reality of the feelings of the population in France.
Yes. And let’s see how things sit with the French voting public after a year or so of governing by the dysfunctional Left monster that Macron has created.
Toblerone
The great defenders of democracy are being exposed as nothing more than narcissistic clowns – willing to do anything and sacrifice everyone – simply to stay in power.
Macron will do anything to stay in power and for him France can go to Hell as long as he remains at the top.
Watch.
Bob Fosse
Which the people voted for. The ‘populists’ weren’t very popular. They lost, stop making excuses.
wallace
The only important result is that Le Pen and the extreme right-wing RN party could not obtain a majority. 51% voted against them.
Cards fan
Cards fan
lol Total nonsense. If the far right were so popular, they would have one more votes. They didn't.
lol Yes. Macron will do anything to stay in power. And by anything, I mean form a coalition with another party. Something that until Sunday had never been done before. What should have happened is everyone just keel over and let the small minority of far right windbags take over the country. reeee
bass4funk
That number continues to grow, if not this time, there’s always a next time. Never retreat and never surrender.
Bob Fosse
Yeah ok. Pendulums again. If it helps you cope with your disappointment that the racist antisemitic le pen wasn’t popular enough, go for it.
Bob Fosse
They have been a minority party for the entirety of their 50 year existence. 50 years of losing, 50. That didn’t change this week. French voted. RN still a minority.
bass4funk
Turned out not to be as liberals claimed it to have been. The potion of indoctrination wore off.
Won’t be the last at this rate.
As I’ve posted before, in 2019 rightwing elite populist Nigel Farage did a deal with the fellow his fellow elitist Boris Johnson which saw Farage stand down his candidates. This ‘engineered’ a large majority for the populist Johnson.
Well, many people do. France dodged one bullet, one bullet.
wallace
A major disappointment for the MAGA RN supporters who had expected a significant victory in the election, disregarding the RN's history of racism and anti-semitism. Selected viewpoint.
wallace
Some posters claim to have zero interest in Europe but then make numerous posts anyway.
wallace
The right and extreme right suffered significant losses in the UK and French elections, and efforts are needed to prevent a potential Trump victory in the upcoming US election.
Bad Haircut
Funny how the "far-right" got the most votes out of any party. But thanks to some dealing by Macron's lot, Le Pen's party missed out on getting the most seats. So claims by Scholz and his ilk are only valid to a certain extent. Anyway, let's see how France fares after "government" by a band of far-left crazies. Perhaps it'll be a catalyst for bigger RN gains in the near future as people finally tire of destructive left-wing policy.
Jimizo
The way to keep the extremists out of power is to govern well.
The hard core of the far right are easily led, unhappy and full of fear and can probably never be swayed, but those who vote for the likes of Le Pen through exasperation can. Protest votes are fickle.
Reasonable parties need to get their acts together.
Ramsey's Kitchen
NFP leaderJean-Luc Melenchon wants to recognize a Palestinian state "as soon as possible".
Well done Jean-Luc. White House will be pretty unhappy about that.
bass4funk
There is always a next time and there will be a next time, so time is on their side.
Seems that is what the leftist globalists have done and they did an excellent job at it.
Justifiably so.
Le Pen seems reasonable to a very large extent.
jackandjill
Even with her racist anti-semitic history.
wallace
While Le Pen and her RN party will have a seat at the table they will never be in government.
Desert Tortoise
Looks like Monsieur Macron's gamble paid off. I'll bet Herr Scholz is relieved!
Desert Tortoise
The whole attraction of the far right is fear. That is all they have to sell. Whites fear losing their social and economic superiority to non-whites. They fear being left behind in wealth due in many cases to not having a competitive education. They fear losing jobs as the worlds economy changes and makes the industries they work in obsolete. And lacking a college degree or just being stuck in their ways finding work in a new industry is not so easy for them. They don't want to change and resent the changes they see all around them. It makes them insecure and that makes it easy for far right, cough cough, "leaders" to exploit their fears.
So they scapegoat anyone who isn't white as the root cause of their angst when really they need to look in the mirror and ask why they cannot keep up and compete? The world has pretty much always been about change. Sometimes change is achingly slow, other times is is lighting fast. But one thing is certain, there are nations that are changing and adapting, leading the way with new technologies and ways of doing business and they really don't mind if some of the worlds great nations turn inward and fail to compete. It makes it easier for them to succeed if we turn inward and put up barriers. They are going to charge ahead and set the pace. You can either keep up or get buried. Those of us who are adaptable and thrive on change are going to be the winners. The rest get left in the dust. What about you?
u_s__reamer
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday he was "relieved" that the eurosceptic far right failed to win a snap election in top ally France...
Hmm, many around the world would be more relieved if the German leader stopped aiding and abetting the even further rightist regime of Netanyahu and his thugs in their genocidal destruction of life in Gaza and the West Bank and closing their eyes to all the IDF war crimes with the lame and untrue (according to international law) boilerplate, "Israel has the right to defend itself" ( as an occupying power it does not). The lawless actions of the powerful Israeli state pose a far greater threat to Europe's security than all the right-wing populist parties combined.
starpunk
'Reasonable'? I think not. Racists and Jew-bashers have rocks in their heads. As for Germany they still have igly memories of fascism and what it does. Chancelor Scholz doesn't want a fascist state at the western border, neither would I.
Le Pen, suck it up.
Antiquesaving
The combined right/far right got around 45% (including smaller parties!
Does that really sound like a great victory for the left?
If the system was by actual representation, the vote would be very different.
But what it really shows is s very very very large part of the population is not happy!
Not happy with Macron not happy with the EU not happy with the left agenda.
Judging by many comments here that just want to ignore this reality, all that will do is send the moderate right straight into the more radical and hard right.
If they govern for the barely 52% that voted for the coalition, then expect a dysfunctional government, expect unrest.
We saw riots after the first round from the left and now from the right.
This is what happens when a very large portion of the population is ignored or perceives that they are ignored by a government that only or they expect will only govern for their base and not address the concerns of the other half.