Is Macron's tactical maneuvering paying off?

IT seems French President Emmanuel Macron's political gamble with snap elections is paying off well so far. His primary goal was to thwart the advance of the right wing, and he has achieved this objective quite successfully. Following a humiliating defeat by Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) in the European parliamentary elections in June, Macron's sudden announcement of snap elections caught everyone off guard. The abrupt decision left even the then Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and Macron's centrist Ensemble alliance reeling in shock. The ranks of Macron's centrist Ensemble alliance were thrown into disarray, utterly shocked by the unexpected announcement of Macron. Le Pen and her protégé, Jordan Bardella, celebrated as if victory was within their grasp. Fresh from their historic success in the European elections, the National Rally (RN) was expecting a massive success in the snap polls, with hopes of an imminent overthrow of the Macron regime. Similarly, the left-wing parties, sensing an opportunity, quickly coalesced to form the New Popular Front (NFP), aiming to seize the opportunity presented by the snap elections. However, so far, Macron has been able to tackle both of them well by using his trademark tactical plan.

In the second round of elections on July 7, everyone anticipated a massive erosion for Macron's Ensemble, yet it still managed to secure 164 seats, making it the second-largest group in parliament after the NFP, which won 182 seats. Macron successfully managed to squeeze the chances of the National Rally (NR), which gained 33.1 percent of votes in the first round and was expected to win between 230-280 seats. However, owing to shrewd maneuvering and seat adjustments with other political parties, Macron and his associates were able to restrict the top performer of the first round, the National Rally, to only 143 seats. In the week between the two rounds of voting, more than 200 candidates, mostly from the left and center, dropped out in favor of a better-placed candidate to beat the NR. This strategic -- but informal -- alliance, known as the "republican front" in France, was aimed at preventing the far right from ascending to power. The result highlights Macron's adept political strategy and the resilience of France's centrist and left-leaning forces in countering the rise of the far right.