The far right in France had a big win this month, crushing the party of President Emmanuel Macron in elections for the European Parliament. But the results did not affect France’s government at home — until Mr. Macron changed that. Roger Cohen, the Paris bureau chief for The Times, discusses the huge political gamble Mr. Macron has taken, which has brought the far right closer than ever to gaining real power in France. Guest: Roger Cohen, the Paris bureau chief for The New York Times.
From the New York Times, I'm Catrin Benhold.
This is the daily.
The far right in France had a big win this month.
It crushed the party of President Emmanuel Macron in elections for the european parliament.
But it was a largely symbolic win because the elections did not affect Frances government at home until Macron changed that.
Today, my colleague Roger Cohen on the huge political gamble Macron has taken and how the far right is now closer than ever to gaining real power in France.
It's Wednesday, June 26.
Roger, the far right has been a player in french politics for a very long time.
I used to be based in France myself and remember writing about it like 15 years ago.
And of course youve been on the show more recently to talk about it.
But now the far right has its best shot yet at actually governing.
Walk us through what just happened.
Well, Catherine, the national rally formerly known as the National Front, the far right anti immigration party in France headed by Marine Le Penitent has been rising for some time due to growing frustration with the government, growing anti immigrant feeling in France and a feeling of marginalization among many people.
But until very recently, nobody thought the national rally could actually govern France.
The world's largest multi country election is underway for the next european parliament today.
Spain.
Now suddenly what has happened is that early this month european parliament elections were held.
Millions of people in 27 nations are deciding what the next five years will look like for the European Union.
These are elections to the directly elected body of the European Union.
I am currently at the national Rally's electoral party in eastern Paris where they're just crushing it.