Paris: Two French analysts and experts said that the deep political crisis that has plagued France for more than a year has highlighted the crisis within the political system of the Fifth Republic, which has reached an extreme level of decrepitude.
According to Qatar News Agency, they indicated that the only solution, given French President Emmanuel Macron’s refusal to resign, is to dissolve Parliament once again. They also noted that early legislative elections may yield a clear political horizon, with a party-led parliamentary bloc winning an absolute majority and becoming capable of governing.
They pointed out that the current state of political paralysis and uncertainty in France will fuel fear of the future within French society, given rising prices and the high cost of living. This will be exploited by labor unions and left-wing parties, who will call for street demonstrations to further pressure Macron to dissolve parliament again, or resign and call early presidential elections.
In this regard, President of the Institute for European Perspective and Security Studies (IPSE) Emmanuel Dupuy said that France has been experiencing a profound political crisis and a political system crisis for more than a year, since President Emmanuel Macron dissolved parliament and called for early legislative elections, resulting in the current fragmented parliamentary and political landscape.
He told QNA that despite three successive governments, political life has not progressed. Rather, it has become more complicated, and no solutions are in sight for the current situation. Today, after the resignation of the new Prime Minister, Sebastien Lecornu, whose government lasted only 14 hours, the shortest government in the era of the Fifth Republic, the French political scene has become absurd, surreal, and complex.
He indicated that no party or parliamentary bloc can form a government and govern without being subjected to a vote of no confidence from other blocs, as the situation in France has reached a point of no return. He emphasized that, in light of this absurd and complex political landscape, constitutional governance mechanisms must be changed and a transition from the Fifth Republic to the Sixth Republic must be implemented to clarify the vision and open up the horizon.
Dupuy pointed out that the only solution available to the president, who refuses to resign, is to dissolve Parliament once again. He added that early legislative elections may yield a clear political horizon, with a party-led parliamentary bloc winning an absolute majority and becoming capable of governing.
He highlighted that the scenario and option of pressuring Macron to resign via parliament is unlikely, despite the current constitution allowing it. However, given the absence of a party-led parliamentary bloc with a majority in the current parliament, this scenario becomes unfeasible, and perhaps impossible, given the constitutional legal steps required to vote on a motion of no confidence and the resignation of the president.
He concluded that the only hope and light at the end of this dark political tunnel France is passing through lies in dissolving Parliament again and calling for early legislative elections. Otherwise, all political measures proposed or resorted to by President Macron will remain mere sand in the eyes and will be considered half-solutions that will not lead to a way out of the deep political crisis France is currently experiencing.
For his part, political analyst and strategic expert at the French institute for international and strategic affairs (IRIS) Brahim Oumansour told QNA that in France today, there is a deep political crisis and, at the same time, a political system crisis. The political crisis has highlighted the crisis of the political system adopted in the Fifth Republic, which has reached an extreme stage of decrepitude, especially since this Fifth Republic was founded on the ruins of the Franco-Algerian War, and after World War II, while the Fourth Republic was suffering from all this turmoil and instability.
He added that the depth of the political crisis, which has persisted for more than a year since President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the French parliament, also highlights the depth of the crisis in France’s political system today, particularly with the rapid change of governments and the political uncertainty that has brought the country to a political dead end and rendered it incapable of compromise.
He indicated that, given the limited options available to President Emmanuel Macron, there are only two possible scenarios: the first is to dissolve parliament again, call early legislative elections, and have a political bloc win an absolute majority.
The other scenario is President Macron’s resignation and the call for early presidential elections, which some left-wing political blocs are calling for.
The strategic expert at the French IRIS pointed out that the state of political uncertainty and great turmoil will further complicate the political crisis and deepen the economic crisis, which was the primary reason for the fall of the last two governments. This will further complicate the budget vote, especially after the resignation of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu and the paralysis of political life in France, given the refusal of most political parties, both right and left, to enter into new alliances and align with President Macron’s bloc.
He concluded that the state of political paralysis and uncertainty will fuel fear of the future within French society amid rising prices and the high cost of living. This will be exploited by labor unions and left-wing parties to call for street demonstrations to further pressure President Macron to dissolve parliament again or resign and call early presidential elections.