In the final episode of this series of France Elects Ido Vock, Europe correspondent, is joined by the New Statesman’s writer-at-large Jeremy Cliffe to digest France’s legislative election, at which Emmanuel Macron’s party failed to win a majority and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally had its best ever result. Macron will now be the first president in 20 years to govern without a parliamentary majority.

They discuss whether Macron and his party could have done more to prevent the far right winning so many seats, what the next few years has in store for France and whether forcing the executive to work with other factions could benefit the country’s political culture.

Further reading:

Emmanuel Macron falls to earth

France’s Jupiter may be about to discover a culture of compromise

In the long shadow of De Gaulle

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