France, a far-right victory would destabilise Europe too
Rights — di Andrea Barolini
Germany in particular is watching France's legislative elections with great concern. The risk is of bringing down the Paris-Berlin axis.
France, a far-right victory would destabilise Europe too
Germany in particular is watching France's legislative elections with great concern. The risk is of bringing down the Paris-Berlin axis.
The decision by French president Emmanuel Macron to dissolve the National Assembly in the wake of the European elections was met with enormous surprise not only in Paris. If within the head of state's own entourage there are accounts of wide eyes and cold sweats at the moment of the centrist leader's announcement, elsewhere in Europe too people are wondering what the way out of this deep crisis in the country across the Alps will be. And some observers appear particularly interested.
German minister Baerbock: "Nobody can remain indifferent"
One of these is unquestionably Germany: the Paris-Berlin axis has in many cases been leveraged at EU level to advance certain dossiers considered particularly important by both French and German diplomacy. A possible entry into the corridors of power by the far-right Rassemblement National (Rn) could profoundly alter the political — and also economic — balance of power.
French elections: World leaders react to far-right surge lemonde.fr/en/internation…
As explained to Euronews by Cornelia Woll of the Hertie School in Berlin, "it is possible that for France the centre of cooperation would shift from Germany to Italy, with which it would be easier to build bridges." It is partly for this reason that German chancellor Olaf Scholz did not conceal his concern in the days leading up to the first round of the legislative elections: "The elections in France are worrying me," commented the Social Democratic leader.
Similarly, as reported by the Ansa agency, immediately after the result of the first French round, German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock observed that "Germany and France have a particular responsibility towards our shared Europe," adding that "nobody can remain indifferent when a party that sees Europe as the problem rather than the solution comes in well ahead in one of our closest partners and best friends."
The French far right's hostility towards Germany
For its part, although Rn leader Jordan Bardella has stated that cooperation with Berlin would continue, the numerous critical — "not to say openly hostile," researcher Ronja Kempin recalled to Deutsche Welle — remarks directed at Germany have not gone unnoticed.
The secretary-general of the CDU, the Christian Democratic Party, Carsten Linnemann, likewise stated that a Rn victory "would profoundly change Franco-German relations." Meanwhile the co-leader of the SPD, the Social Democratic Party, spoke of a "warning for all of us," explaining that "the cohesion of Europe is at risk."
Süddeutsche Zeitung: "It is Macron's failure"
Meanwhile, the progressive daily Süddeutsche Zeitung observed that "the country of human rights and multiculturalism is drifting to the right as never before, and perhaps towards obscurantism, inward retreat, xenophobia." And all of this, the German newspaper continues, "is Macron's failure" — he has "flung the door wide open to the far right."
Die transatlantische Partnerschaft und die europäische Einigung bilden die Pfeiler der deutschen Sicherheit. Was, wenn beide mit Trump und Le Pen wegbrechen? Dafür gibt es keinen Plan. Ein Kommentar von @dbroessler #SZPlus sz.de/lux.XhaDmumaCF…
But sources of unease are also linked to a possible reduction in France's contribution to the European budget, a possible withdrawal from the migration pact, and a theoretical exit from the European electricity market. All hypotheses that would of course need to be verified. But ones that are keeping many people in Germany awake at night. A great deal of the political balance of the entire continent will depend on the outcome of the second round of the French legislative elections, to be held on 7 July.