After the Paris Olympics, France returns to political chaos

The Olympic Peace—a temporary truce between warring nations for the sake of the Olympic Games—is a tradition that dates back thousands of years. In France, the two Olympic weeks in Paris meant a kind of political peace.

France was plunged into political crisis in June when President Emmanuel Macron called for new elections after the far-right National Assembly was the big winner in EU elections. In subsequent parliamentary elections, the left-wing New People’s Front coalition became the largest, but fell short of its own majority.

Negotiations for a The new government documents had not even begun to be issued before they were suspended in preparation for the Olympics, much to the dismay of the left.

Since then, Macron has been riding a wave of newly awakened joy and enthusiasm in the country. The Olympic event has been praised at home and abroad. France is ranked high in the medal league.

Macron is very present at the sports festival. He was photographed hugging, kissing, congratulating and consoling French sports champions in judo, swimming and BMX.

All of this is reminiscent of the way former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hosted the London Olympics twelve years ago, when he was Mayor of London. He embodied the Olympic madness and was in a Boris coup with all the people.

Macron is in good companyMost importantly, the Socialist Party is also trying to associate itself with Olympic success. Anne Hidalgo, the long-time mayor of Paris, swam in the Seine to show that the city had cleaned it up enough to hold swimming competitions there—a successful public relations coup.

Similarly, the National Rally has not succeeded in shaping the patriotism that is currently prevalent in France, even though the party is driven by a specifically nationalist ideology. Sure, party leader Jordan Bardella and presidential candidate Marine Le Pen congratulate French medal winners on social media—many of whom have previously urged their followers to vote against the National Assembly—but they keep a low profile.

The Olympic peace in politics and the widespread excitement in the country have made President Macron more popular. The percentage of those who say they do not trust the president is five percentage points Today is less than last month.

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The question is how long? The Olympic influence is there.

When autumn comes, tough negotiations begin between the various blocs—the sprawling left-wing coalition, Macron’s liberal centrist group, and the traditional right—to produce a new prime minister and a new government with the support of parliament.

The left-wing coalition has put forward Lucie Castets, a civil servant who was little known until a few weeks ago, as its candidate for prime minister.

By all accounts, the National Assembly will be excluded from government negotiations. But the party could put things in a hurry, for example when next year’s budget is adopted this fall.

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