Macron’s Vision of a Centrist Alliance Is Already Faltering

  • Left lawmakers reject Macron’s call for ‘republican’ coalition
  • Divergent positions show difficult path to resolve impasse

Emmanuel Macron

Photographer: Dylan Martinez/AFP/Getty Images
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Emmanuel Macron’s efforts to defuse the political crisis he created with a snap parliamentary election have elicited brusque pushback, underscoring the French president’s waning authority and highlighting deep divisions.

Parties across the political spectrum rejected Macron’s appeal for “republican forces” to rally together to form a governing coalition. The left-wing alliance, known as the New Popular Front, insisted it had the mandate to nominate a prime minister, while the center-right Republicans vowed to bring down a left-led government.