French President Emmanuel Macron refused the resignation of the country’s prime minister, asking him to remain temporarily as the head of the government after chaotic election results left the government in limbo. French voters split the legislature on the left, center and far right, leaving no faction even close to the majority needed to form a government. The results from Sunday’s vote raised the risk of paralysis for the European Union’s second-largest economy. Macron gambled that his decision to call snap elections would give France a “moment of clarification,” but the outcome showed the opposite, less than three weeks before the start of the Paris Olympics, when the country will be under an international spotlight. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective on France's new political landscape, FRANCE 24's Delano D'Souza is joined by Dr. Andrew Knapp, Emeritus Professor of French Politics and Contemporary History at the University of Reading. Dr. Knapp warns that the National Rally's endgame is to "win all levers of power in France, presidency and parliament, so that they can effectively close down French democracy undermine the EU from within and align with Putin." Professor Knapp asserts that the RN is actually "in a very good place" right now and will be "far better placed" in 2027 to realise their vision from a position of a "moderate-sounding opposition" over the next three years. The professor insists that now is the time for all the forces in France to "take note of that danger and act accordingly."
