France 24: French revolution: Will Macron blow up traditional left/right divide?

Our Martin Michelot was a guest on France 24, where he commented on the recent naming of Edouard Philippe as the French PM.

Our Martin Michelot was a guest on France 24, where he commented on the recent naming of Edouard Philippe as the French PM.

Monday's naming of a prime minister from the Les Républicains party already split the main center-right bloc that just a few months ago was the heavy favorite to win the elections. Was the naming of a cabinet that brings under the same tent a wide pallate of politicians the final nail in the coffin for the conservatives but also for the other mainstream parties, be they centrist or Socialist. Has Emmanuel Macron already succeeded in blowing up French politics as we know them?

The Socialists have not been left aside in such a government. Jean-Yves Le Drian, who was among the most popular ministers in Hollande's government, has been given even more responsibilities. He's been given not only Foreign Affairs, but also the Ministry of Europe, which is the first time in French history for quite some time that this ministry is actually called Ministry of Europe. This is a positive orientation.

The whole interview is available on France 24's Youtube channel here (Part 1) and here (Part 2).

Martin Michelot
Senior Associate Research Fellow

Expertise: NATO and transatlantic security, European foreign policy and defense, French politics, elections and society, Visegrad Four and Central Europe, EU institutional issues