Tricolor Tripolarity: Emmanuel Macron's France Between Extremes

In April 24 2022, Emmanuel Macron was re-elected for the French presidency. His triumph over Marine Le Pen, nevertheless, was less impressive than the one obtained in 2017. Macron’s re-election and the victory of “France En Marche” indicate a significant shift in the patterns of relationship between constituencies and the party system. The erosion of traditional parties and the fragmentation of the political system were enhanced, accelerating the end of bipolarity that marked the Fifth Republic in France – with the simultaneous downfall of Gaullists and Socialists. A new tri-polar configuration includes new liberals, old fascists and a radicalized Left. Electoral delusion with Macron’s public policies and the erosion of the presidential figure on the external front during pandemics coincided with the rise of the Far-Right and its normalization under Le Pen. This situation was reflected in growing abstention indexes. Macron’s second election does not bring France back to 2017. Features of the ongoing crisis in liberal democracies – with noticeable shortcomings in terms of fostering freedom and prosperity, equality and dignity in a shifting world – remain in place, more visible than before.