Judging by the first results of the French Parliamentary elections abstention, especially by the French popular classes and young people, was the big winner of the first round of the French parliamentary elections.
The French have not rallied to his project as he must have been hoping. But they do not consider him provenly dangerous enough to necessitate mobilizing against him. They are giving him the benefit of the doubt.
The crisis of both the traditional and the far right have contributed to this result, as has the collapse of the Socialist Party, whose presidential candidate Benoit Hamon has already been eliminated.
Mélenchon’s France Insoumise achieved a better result than in 2012, but it has still shown itself unable to capitalize on its spectacular results in the presidential elections.
Some observers attribute this to the lack of unity on the French Left but also to the claim of Mélenchon’s own current to be the only representative of the radical left.
The Communist Party saw some surprising successes.
As for Macron’s PM, he did not hide the intentions he has for his government: to strengthen and institutonialise authoritarianism on the one hand, and proceed with the offensive against labour law on the other.
In 1980, Britain elected Thatcher and France Mitterand. Now it seems that socialism is on the rise in Britain and neoliberalism in France!
But absolute domination of the parliament by Macron may be a mixed blessing for him. It precludes other means of protest than street demonstrations and strikes.
DK
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-election-idUSKBN19200Y
