France is currently experiencing one of the most serious political crises in recent years. As Dr. Charrier explained, the current situation can be traced back to the 2022 parliamentary elections. The recent resignation of the prime minister illustrates that the country is failing due to its inability to compromise.
While former Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu had focused on cooperation, La France insoumise and Rassemblement National deliberately chose a course of confrontation. Meanwhile, Emmanuel Macron failed to deliver on his long-announced political modernization.
According to Dr. Charrier, the most likely scenario is another dissolution of the Assemblée Nationale. Macron is under massive pressure as France finds itself in a political deadlock: Without structural reforms and a strengthening of parliamentarianism, the country risks remaining permanently unstable. Charrier concluded his talk with remarks on the political effects on Germany: A weakened French government also jeopardizes Europe's ability to act in foreign policy, and both left-wing and right-wing forces are skeptical about close cooperation with Germany.