Macron successfully broke that duopoly in 2017, when the then-37-year-old campaigned for president on a pro-market, socially liberal platform with the ambition of uniting moderates of all walks of life.
His victory was followed by an exodus of both leadership and voters from the Socialists and Les Républicains. Centrists gravitated to Macron and his allies, while hardline voters were drawn to more radical voices — Le Pen on the right, and anticapitalist leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon on the left.
The 2022 presidential election proved humiliating for both parties. The conservatives won less than 5 percent of the vote and the Socialists nabbed just 1.7 percent. Le Pen once again made the runoff, with Mélenchon finishing closely behind her.
Popularity remains an issue for both parties, but things are looking up. Les Républicains have found themselves back in government following Macron’s ill-fated decision to call snap elections last year. The Socialists, after watching Mélenchon dominate two consecutive presidential elections on the left, reluctantly joined forces with him. The pan-left movement that emerged ended up shocking the political establishment by winning the vote.
Reclaiming leadership
As the race to replace Macron starts to take shape, both camps are seeking to win back lost voters and, eventually, reclaim their former places atop the right and left aisles of French politics.
One high-ranking member of government from Les Républicains, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly, thinks the process is already in motion.
