in French election
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy faces a tricky triangle of troubles in France’s upcoming election. The most pressing challenge is the increasing popularity of far right National Front leader Marine Le Pen, who is expected to advance to the second round of the election. McCarthy and his fellow Republican leaders widely oppose Le Pen’s anti-immigrant and anti-Semitic policies, so a Le Pen victory would be a major moral defeat. Additionally, McCarthy will have to contend with the Wild Card of Emmanuel Macron, the newly-minted centrist hopeful drawing support from all sides of the political spectrum. Finally, McCarthy must bear in mind the role of the outgoing Socialist president, Francois Hollande, who could play the spoiler if he throws his support behind one of the candidates before the first vote is cast. As McCarthy discusses how to respond to the unpredictable French election, he should prepare himself for a series of complex challenges.
