France Braces for High-Stakes Election
A huge political gamble will be playing out in France this weekend, as voters head to the polls in France’s snap Parliamentary election. President Emmanuel Macron hopes to use the election to re-establish his mandate and reform agenda, but polls suggest that Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally Party could secure a significant number of seats in Parliament, making it difficult for Macron to govern and potentially threatening his political future.
William Drozdiak, a fellow with the Wilson Center's Global Europe Program, provides an overview of this historic moment. He talks about the potential ramifications for Europe and why Macron decided to take this gamble. The snap election, set for June 30 and July 7, comes as France prepares to host the Olympic Games, adding to the national significance and tension of the political climate.
Guest
William Drozdiak
Author "The Last President of Europe: Emmanuel Macron’s Race to Revive France and Save the World"
Hosted By
Global Europe Program
The Global Europe Program is focused on Europe’s capabilities, and how it engages on critical global issues. We investigate European approaches to critical global issues. We examine Europe’s relations with Russia and Eurasia, China and the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Our initiatives include “Ukraine in Europe” – an examination of what it will take to make Ukraine’s European future a reality. But we also examine the role of NATO, the European Union and the OSCE, Europe’s energy security, transatlantic trade disputes, and challenges to democracy. The Global Europe Program’s staff, scholars-in-residence, and Global Fellows participate in seminars, policy study groups, and international conferences to provide analytical recommendations to policy makers and the media. Read more
