Macron braces for setback
France heads for final round of local polls after lockdown
France’s ruling party is expected to be handed a stinging rebuke by voters today in the final round of local elections, the first big political test for President Emmanuel Macron since the coronavirus crisis began to ease.
The first round controversially went ahead on March 15 just as the epidemic was gaining deadly momentum but the second phase scheduled for March 22 was put off to June 28 after France went into lockdown.
Analysts are expecting the election will underline the failure of Macron’s centrist Republic on the Move (LREM) party – founded by the president ahead of his 2017 election win – to gain a strong foothold at a local level.
Socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo is predicted to hold on to the key battleground of Paris, with LREM candidate and former health minister Agnes Buzyn well behind after Macron’s original choice pulled out in a sexting scandal.
With a death toll fast approaching 30,000, France has been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
While most anti-virus restrictions have now been eased, there is widespread anger at the government over shortages of protective equipment in the early stages of the pandemic.
Paris is now buzzing with speculation that if a poor showing by the LREM is confirmed, Macron will take the chance to announce a major Cabinet reshuffle.
This could include the post of Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who in an oddity of French politics is also campaigning to be mayor of the Normandy port city of Le Havre.
During the pandemic, the popularity of Philippe, a technocratic and unshowy figure, has risen to a level much higher than that of the president’s low ratings, raising speculation Macron may prefer to see him work full time in his Norman fiefdom.
A poll by Harris Interactive Epoka published on Friday showed that 44% of respondents had a favourable opinion of Macron but 51% were positive on Philippe, a jump of 13 points for the premier since the start of the epidemic.