Unrest in France's governing party

A group of around 20 members of the French Nationl Assembly, most of whom belong to Emmanuel Macron's LREM party, have announced the creation of a group they claim is more committed to environmental protection, democracy and solidarity. In the midst of the corona crisis the president is now faced with a new challenge. Will it sap his strength?

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Le Point (FR) /

Rebels without a concept

Le Point compares today's dissenters with the frondeurs, an opposition group within the Parti socialiste (PS) which was founded in 2014 and opposed the neoliberal policies adopted under President François Hollande:

“The dissenters in the PS remained in their parliamentary group, so as to change its course from within. What's more, they had a political past of their own, whereas most of today's dissidents were elected in 2017 at a time when even a goat could hope to win a seat in the National Assembly provided it wore a LREM t-shirt. In addition, the PS frondeurs had a clear political line, wheras their successors' ideology appears to fluctuate, so much so that they have left the presidential majority citing leftist values at the very moment when the government has announced an ecological and social shift.”

L'Obs (FR) /

Macron dangerously weakened

The initiative comes at a particularly unfavourable moment for France's president, L'Obs points out:

“The president is starting the new phase of deconfinement with fear in his heart, because the situation has become threatening. First of all there is the sudden emergence of a group of LREM dissenters in the National Assembly, reminiscent of the chaotic end of the presidency of François Hollande, who at the time was considered weakened because of a handful of unruly leftists. ... Will that scenario repeat itself today? ... [The split in the party] points to a decomposition of the political landscape in the coming months, without the president being able to soften even the slightest shocks. He could hardly be more vulnerable.”