Tale Of Two Elections: How Voters In UK, France Turned On Their Leaders

In the recent elections in France, a surprise dissolution of parliament triggered by President Emmanuel Macron saw a dramatic rise of the far-right National Rally (RN) party, while in the United Kingdom, the Labour Party won by an unprecedented margin and ended 14 years of Conservative rule. Both elections revealed voter discontent in the two countries.

The Rise Of The Far-Right In France

On June 30, the first leg of the French elections took place. An attempt to halt the momentum of the resurgent RN, however, saw Mr Macron's decision to dissolve parliament spectacularly backfire. RN, led by Marine Le Pen won the highest vote share, polling 33 per cent, the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) garnering 28 per cent and Mr Macron's centrist bloc could manage only 20.7 per cent in votes tally. This result set the stage for the second round of polling to be held on July 7.

Mr Macron's suspension of parliament was meant to solidify a clear majority for his administration after getting heavily beaten during the European Parliament parliament. However, it was meant to unify opposition against the RN, but it seems it has emboldened the far-right instead. The polls correctly predicted that the RN would lead, and Macron's approval ratings collapsed to 36 per cent, as indicated by polls.

The Revival Of Labour In UK

Across the Channel, the UK saw its own political earthquake. On Friday, Keir Starmer's Labour Party surmounted the odds and registered a historic win, ending Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party's 14-year rule. The election results reflect widespread dissatisfaction with the Tory government, particularly in the wake of Liz Truss's short-lived and disastrous tenure and Mr Sunak's leadership in its aftermath.

Ms Truss's brief premiership of only 49 days, which was marked by unfunded tax cuts upsetting the markets damaged the reputation of the Conservative Party. Mr Sunak's attempts to steady the ship were insufficient to regain public trust.

Mr Starmer's leadership has been pivotal in Labour's revival. Since taking up the role in early 2020, he has repositioned the party to the centre, and fixed problems within the party that include in-fighting and anti-Semitism. Opinion polls consistently showed Labour significantly ahead of the Tories, which reflected the public mood that was in favour of change.

Mainstreaming The Far-Right

RN's rise cannot be attributed solely to the mistakes of Mr Macron. Ms Le Pen's deliberate efforts to soften the party's image have been instrumental. Since inheriting leadership from her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, in 2011, she has worked to shed the party's extreme-right reputation. The 2018 rebranding from the National Front to the National Rally marked a significant step in this transformation. In a decisive move to break from the past, Ms Le Pen expelled her father from the party in 2015 following his repetition of a contentious Holocaust remark.

Still, the party did not shake off its xenophobic rhetoric. Jordan Bardella, the party's would-be prime minister, has vowed to bar dual nationals from several state jobs. 

Reflections For Conservative Party

The electoral result, the worst for the Tories since 1906, brought home deep differences among the party ranks. party leaders such as Suella Braverman and Penny Mordaunt have criticised the failure of the party to connect with voters.

"I want to briefly address the results around the country, and there's only one thing I can say... sorry. I'm sorry. The Great British people voted for us over 14 years and we did not keep our promises... we acted like we were entitled to your votes," Ms Braverman said as quoted by the BBC. "I'm sorry my party didn't listen to you."

There is also uncertainty in which direction the Tories will take in the future, with calls for a more coherent policy to gain back the trust of the voters.