The future producer of “Himbo Heist”: I’m fairly sure he didn’t like it much, probably because he thought (like all Right-wing politicians) that the far Right would be comfortable enough with him and his folks to vote there instead. But it does happen every time.

Info I hear from France suggests results may be very surprising. I had to double check I was reading right. Now appears to be confirmed by *EARLY EXITS* in Swiss media: RN weaker than expected. Fight for first between left & Macronists, though RN possible still in right for low plurality.

Belgian media is now reporting the same thing. 2 other polling institutes are independently projecting the same thing: a much weaker RN than expected, and Left bloc potentially in first place.

Up there on the list of “unexpected patron saints of X” with David Cameron as the unexpected patron saint of Irish unification, we may now have to put Emmanuel Macron, unexpected patron saint of the revitalized French Left.

Macron tried to spike it and the people *running* for office refused to play ball with him, the majority of the center pols in 3rd dropped out and endorsed the left in defiance.

Very true, hence my description.

Although I should clarify: they didn’t drop out in defiance of Macron, they dropped out to unify votes against the RN.

Right, but that was an act of defiance against Macron's desire that they stay in; there was a quiet refusal from most of the center in France. What was that line from the incumbent who stepped aside... something like "Defeat happens once; dishonor is forever"?

It’s also a thing that happens in every French election between Phases 1 and 2. I don’t know that I would ascribe any rebellion against Macron to it.

bsky.app/profile/tani... This is what I was thinking of in terms of it being a rebellion against Macron.

Explosive reporting in Le Monde confirms what was apparent all week: Macron resisted the emergence of anti-far-right front after round 1. His PM, Attal, forced it as a fait accompli, & pressured for drop outs to block RN. Even then, Macron made some phone calls to undercut it.

Législatives 2024 : entre l’Elysée et Matignon, tensions sur le front républicainwww.lemonde.fr L’attitude à tenir face à la montée de l’extrême droite a profondément divisé Emmanuel Macron et Gabriel Attal. Leurs stratégies, parfois contraires, se sont parasitées avant le second tour des électi...

I’m fairly sure he didn’t like it much, probably because he thought (like all Right-wing politicians) that the far Right would be comfortable enough with him and his folks to vote there instead. But it does happen every time.

's true, and anyway the important thing is YAY IT WORKED AND THE ELECTION RESULTS WERE NOT APOCALYPSE!!

France being my escape valve from North America (I don’t think Canada will be far enough if things here go really sideways, and I can waive into the Paris Bar overnight using my Quebec one), I pay a lot of attention to things over there.

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