After rollercoaster-like parliamentary elections, the French film and TV industry has expressed relief over the far right’s defeat.
Predictions had pointed to a triumph from Marine Le Pen’s National Rally based on the first round’s results, marking the first time that such a party would come into power since the pro-Nazi Vichy Regime, which had sparked an uproar within the French media landscape.
French President Emmanuel Macron then propelled the country into a state of panic after dissolving the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, in the wake of the far right’s victory in the European elections on June 9.
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While Macron called these pivotal snap elections a democratic test and an “act of trust,” the initiative was widely perceived by media observers as a poker move.
If the far right had dominated the 577-seat National Assembly, the lower house of the Parliament, it would have threatened, among other things, progressive agendas, as well cultural policies and institutions. One of the biggest issues at stake for the French cultural world is the fate of French broadcaster France Televisions that Rassemblement National leader Marine Le Pen had said she wanted to privatize at least partially.
But ultimately, the National Rally was beat by the leftist coalition Nouveau Front Populaire which won the second round of the pivotal elections with approximately 172 to 192 seats. The far right came in third with approximately 132 to 152 seats, behind the centrist bloc of French President Emmanuel Macron, Ensemble, which held up better than expected and secured an estimated 150 to 170 seats (still a steep drop from its pre-dissolution delegation of 250 deputies).
The far right’s surprise loss came down to tactical withdrawals after more than 200 candidates – mostly from the left and center — pulled out from the race ahead of the second round in order to avoid splitting the votes which would have benefitted the far right.
“The National Rally’s plans for culture were deadly, so we are immensely relieved they lost,” says film and TV producer Marc Missonnier who is president of the producers guild UPC. Missonnier said the culture community has “glimmer of hope” that they will be able to “pursue their battles over budgets, preserving France Televisions’s independence, and comforting the financing of the National Film Board via tax levies.”
Although the mood of the predominantly leftwing industry is upbeat over the outcome of these elections, France’s National Assembly has emerged as more fragmented than it’s ever been since the inception of the Fifth Republic by General De Gaulle in 1958.
The French government is also up in the air as Macron is being urged to form a new government. Prime minister Gabriel Attal offered to resign this morning but Macron refused it and requested that he remains in post for now.
La France Insoumise’s controversial leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, who was the first person to speak up after the leftist coalition won the elections, demanded that Macron bow down immediately and let his party form a government. The French President has said, however, that he will not collaborate with the divisive hard left party La France Insoumise which has been accused of fueling antisemitism and importing tensions from the war in Gaza. Melenchon notably called the Oct. 7 terrorist attack in Israel “an armed offensive” and described Hamas as “Palestinian armed forces” two days after the massacre.
Macron is reportedly considering an alliance with the right wing republican bloc, rather than the leftist coalition, unless the socialists cut their ties with La France Insoumise — which Macron perceives as being as dangerous as the far right.
Amid the chaos, Missonnier says he hopes that the center and socialist forces will be able to unite to form a broad-based government, and isn’t expecting it to be much hands-on when it comes to culture due to the lack of cohesion.
Enders analysis’ Francois Godard, meanwhile, says that while socialists are way more “receptive” to the importance of cultural institutions and policies than the far right, the current economic standing of France requires some savings which may impact culture.
“Just like the German coalition announced it would reduce its spendings, the leftist bloc in France will not be spared from having to make similar efforts” says the analyst, adding that the perspectives for culture “could have been much worse” with the National Rally which would have attempted to slash budgets allocated to culture to bolster their profile among far right voters.
The far right also threatened to damage France’s unique system which allows freelance workers in theater, other live entertainment and movies and TV receive unemployment benefits. Macron’s government has already made cuts to employment benefits which prompted protests at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
France is home to some of Europe’s largest media groups, including Banijay and Mediawan, and is a primary destination for foreign investments. Godard says the political turmoils and fragmented national assembly may grip foreign investments in France. “There’s nothing worst than uncertainty for investors, so it will be more difficult for those who want to borrow money and enter the stock market,” he says.
The uncertainty might plague the country for some time. Macron’s presidential mandate ends in 2027 and Le Pen’s National Rally is well positioned to play a crucial role in these upcoming elections after losing twice to Macron in 2017 and 2022.