French press review

On the front page: concern rises at the Élysée…

Audio 04:19

Five days before the first round of the legislative elections, the Macron camp is not certain of winning an absolute majority in the National Assembly.

© AP/Thibault Camus

By: Frédéric Couteau Follow

4 mins

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Like the shadow of a doubt

, points out

Le Monde.

The day after Emmanuel Macron's re-election at the end of April, his lieutenants imagined the legislative elections as a formality.

(…)

A month and a half later, with the approach of the June 12 and 19 elections, the landscape has darkened.

Five days before the first round, Emmanuel Macron's troops remain confident but without being, however, certain of winning an absolute majority.

With the gradual decline recorded by the presidential camp in the polls, the Head of State's lieutenants have seriously lowered their ambitions, now fearing a narrow majority... Even a defeat, now deemed

"not impossible" 

in the Elysium.

»

Indeed, points out

La Croix,

"

in a campaign that hardly interests the French - the polling institutes predict an abstention rate of more than 50% -, and while the first steps of the new government have been eclipsed by the Damien Abad affair and the Stade de France fiasco, the majority is struggling in the polls.

The Republic on the move and its allies would come out on top in the ballot, but would only obtain between 275 and 315 seats out of 577. Without certainty, therefore, of having an absolute majority in the Hemicycle.

»

Like an elk to the left

So, “

could it be the calm before a possible storm?

asks

Le Figaro.

Behind the bleak plain, the volcanic anger of a part of the French remains and, for lack of having been taken head-on for a long time, they could one day wake up.

In fact, the fractures are multiple: social, generational, geographical, cultural, ethnic… The episode of the yellow vests left traces and gave a taste of what could happen.

»

► To read also: Legislative 2022: a duel between Nupes and the Macronists marks a still sluggish campaign

Indeed, on the left, there is a kind of "

momentum

", points to

Liberation

.

With less than a week to go before the first round, activists continue to mobilize to prevent Macron from obtaining a comfortable majority in the Assembly.

If Mélenchon does not become Prime Minister, the Union will at least have had the merit of instilling a new dynamic on the left.

(…)

Jean-Luc Mélenchon has succeeded in building an opposition that crushes all the others.

There are many, almost everywhere in France, the

"angry not fachos" 

who demand the revitalization of public services, a renewal of institutions, and the fight against climate change or social injustice.

»

Bojo: step back to jump better…

Also on the front page, Boris Johnson was hot last night… “

Boris Johnson got a (small) reprieve,

notes

Le Parisien.

By winning the vote of confidence last night, the British Prime Minister can breathe for a while, as no other motion of no confidence can be tabled for a year.

But this time, the ax didn't go far.

The scandal of the serial underground parties at 10 Downing Street, while the Kingdom was confined due to Covid-19, almost cost the turbulent Boris Johnson his post, whom some of his

"friends"

 from his own party wanted to push out.

Bojo remains in office thanks to the 211 votes of Conservative MPs in his favour.

148 voted against, and he now finds himself facing a fractured majority.

»

"

Hit, but not (yet) sunk

," commented

Les Dernieres Nouvelles d'Alsace

.

Technically Boris Johnson has saved his seat as Prime Minister but psychologically and even politically he has already lost it.

(…)

Bojo is now surrounded by business and scandals.

More isolated and weakened than ever.

Reigning over a field of ruins.

»

Inflation: rage on discounts!

We return to France, we return to the

Parisian

who notes “

a rush on discount stores: the anti-inflation weapon

”, exclaims the newspaper in One.

According to a recent study published by the magazine 60 Millions de consommateurs, inflation already represents an additional cost of 90 euros per month and per family

,” notes

Le Parisien.

So, the French organize themselves: to maintain their consumption, they have no choice but to turn to discount brands, where the ridiculous prices are legion.

»

Finally, in the series, everything increases: prices also soar in transport… “

Plane, train: the price of tickets is soaring

”, notes

La Dépêche

on the front page.

Plus 15% at the SNCF over the last three months, plus 10% for plane tickets, deplores the newspaper, which finds there the opportunity "

for a deep reflection on the transport that we will need in the years to come: transport greener, less polluting and more efficient, more affordable transport, more innovative transport…

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