French Centrism after the 2022 Elections: Strategy and Prospects

The article examines the political strategy of the centrist Democratic Movement (MoDem) party and its leader François Bayrou during the presidential and parliamentary elections of 2022 and at the beginning of the second presidency of Emmanuel Macron. At this stage, the MoDem is an important element...

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Main Author: Dmitry V. Shmelev
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Europe 2024-02-01
Series:Современная Европа
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Online Access:http://www.sov-europe.ru/images/pdf/2024/1-2024/Shmelyov-1-24.pdf
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author Dmitry V. Shmelev
author_facet Dmitry V. Shmelev
author_sort Dmitry V. Shmelev
collection DOAJ
description The article examines the political strategy of the centrist Democratic Movement (MoDem) party and its leader François Bayrou during the presidential and parliamentary elections of 2022 and at the beginning of the second presidency of Emmanuel Macron. At this stage, the MoDem is an important element of the ruling majority, having a stable fraction in the National Assembly, which has consolidated its influence against the background of the growing socio-economic crisis in the country. MoDem remains a unitary political structure, focused on the figure of Bayrou and his circle of close associates. In political terms, the party positions itself as the center-left, which gives it the opportunity to prevent the government majority from shifting to the right, influence the appointment of some figures in the government and express its point of view on current policy. Bayrou still defends the transition to a proportional electoral system, criticises the implementation of pension reform, and supports the environmental initiatives of the government. The main guideline for the centrists was the idea of “agreement” in order to prevent the imbalance in institutions and the deepening of the crisis in the country. At the same time, they are committed to the traditional Christian-democratic culture, which was expressed towards the issue of including the right to abortion in the Constitution. The prospects of MoDem and Bayrou will be determined by the new electoral cycle (municipal and regional elections), the level of local voter support and the political configuration within the majority (for example, an alliance with Eduard Philippe) in the context of the presidential elections of 2027.
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spelling doaj-art-514d43f08c124e799726a3e020a734cd2025-08-20T03:11:38ZengRussian Academy of Sciences, Institute of EuropeСовременная Европа0201-70832024-02-011647610.31857/S0201708324010054French Centrism after the 2022 Elections: Strategy and ProspectsDmitry V. Shmelev0Kazan Federal UniversityThe article examines the political strategy of the centrist Democratic Movement (MoDem) party and its leader François Bayrou during the presidential and parliamentary elections of 2022 and at the beginning of the second presidency of Emmanuel Macron. At this stage, the MoDem is an important element of the ruling majority, having a stable fraction in the National Assembly, which has consolidated its influence against the background of the growing socio-economic crisis in the country. MoDem remains a unitary political structure, focused on the figure of Bayrou and his circle of close associates. In political terms, the party positions itself as the center-left, which gives it the opportunity to prevent the government majority from shifting to the right, influence the appointment of some figures in the government and express its point of view on current policy. Bayrou still defends the transition to a proportional electoral system, criticises the implementation of pension reform, and supports the environmental initiatives of the government. The main guideline for the centrists was the idea of “agreement” in order to prevent the imbalance in institutions and the deepening of the crisis in the country. At the same time, they are committed to the traditional Christian-democratic culture, which was expressed towards the issue of including the right to abortion in the Constitution. The prospects of MoDem and Bayrou will be determined by the new electoral cycle (municipal and regional elections), the level of local voter support and the political configuration within the majority (for example, an alliance with Eduard Philippe) in the context of the presidential elections of 2027.http://www.sov-europe.ru/images/pdf/2024/1-2024/Shmelyov-1-24.pdffrancefrançois bayroumodemcentrism
spellingShingle Dmitry V. Shmelev
French Centrism after the 2022 Elections: Strategy and Prospects
Современная Европа
france
françois bayrou
modem
centrism
title French Centrism after the 2022 Elections: Strategy and Prospects
title_full French Centrism after the 2022 Elections: Strategy and Prospects
title_fullStr French Centrism after the 2022 Elections: Strategy and Prospects
title_full_unstemmed French Centrism after the 2022 Elections: Strategy and Prospects
title_short French Centrism after the 2022 Elections: Strategy and Prospects
title_sort french centrism after the 2022 elections strategy and prospects
topic france
françois bayrou
modem
centrism
url http://www.sov-europe.ru/images/pdf/2024/1-2024/Shmelyov-1-24.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT dmitryvshmelev frenchcentrismafterthe2022electionsstrategyandprospects