Ο Macron was defeated, but the Mélenchon failed to get a majority. Η Le Pen is now third, albeit reinforced. These are «in broad terms» the results of the French parliamentary elections, just two months after Macron was elected president.

But let's go to the messages ballot box and our stakes:

The abstention that exceeded 50% is a bad signal for democracy. A president and an assembly that represents less than 50% of the citizens is a problem not only for France, but also for Europe. Indifferent citizens are not consistent with the French tradition of democracy and participation.
Macron will be a president whose every move will necessarily be subject to consultation. Is that a bad thing? Not at all, on the contrary it is positive. The era of the «sun king» is over. We are now in the age of convergence and this must be understood everywhere. And in Greece...

But is there a culture of consultation in France? It has happened before. The most recent is the five-year period 1997-2002, with the socialist Lionel Jospin as prime minister and the right-wing Jacques Chirac as president. Also in 1981, President François Mitterrand appointed socialist Pierre Morois as Prime Minister and formed a coalition government with the French Communist Party.

Macron seems to have both fanatical supporters and fanatical opponents. None of the other parties want (so far) to co-govern with him. And it makes sense for the left of Mélenchon and the far right of Le Pen. But even the Republicans initially said they would stay in opposition. Of course, when for 5 years you deal with social reactions with beatings and repression, eventually you will pay the price...

But there are other serious issues: Macron has also «collected» some of the resentment about the inaction of Europe as a whole. The French are also paying a high price for the war in Ukraine, a war they do not want. Europe, with weak leaders in Germany (Solz has lost much of his popularity), Italy (Draghi is also in trouble) and France, can Europe take the initiative and impose solutions? Probably not.

This weakness of United Europe makes leaders like Orban or Erdogan seek to appear (and sometimes succeed) as powerful international actors. A paralysed Europe gives dangerous adventurers the right to behave like local goons.

There is also the «aftermath»: the next period will be a period that may give birth to «monsters» in Europe (strengthening of the far right) or decisions will be taken to rebuild Europe with an enhanced international role and a strong domestic front. Nothing can be taken for granted. Developments in France will weigh in one direction or the other. The hope of all is that France's heavy democratic tradition will not allow for extremes, nor for immobility.

What is certain is that we will not be bored...

Yannis Koronaios