• Emmanuel Macron’s parliamentary majority loss risks further eroding European leadership.
• with the French leader set to be distracted by domestic issues even as he retains formal control over foreign policy.
• His first presidential term saw France establish itself as a major player on the global stage, and many observers see him as Europe’s number one figure.

Emmanuel Macron’s overall majority risks further eroding European leadership, with the French leader set to be distracted by domestic issues even as he retains formal control over foreign policy.

The loss of the parliamentary majority on Sunday was a major personal blow for Emmanuel Macron, who is looking for a springboard for reform after winning a second term in April.

His first presidential term, which began in 2017, saw France establish itself as a major player on the global stage. Following Brexit and the departure of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, many observers see Macron as Europe’s number one figure.

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But the parliamentary election debacle caps a tricky period for Macron in recent weeks following his presidential triumph over the far right, which fans celebrated as a victory for the democratic centre against populism.

A heavy-handed police crackdown at the Champions League football final in Paris dented France’s reputation abroad and raised questions over its ability to host events.

Macron faced accusations he did not want Ukraine to defeat Russia in its fight against the invasion, after arguing that the West should take care not to humiliate Moscow.

And while the president in theory retains full control over foreign policy, there will now be weeks of political horsetrading that will take the lustre off his reputation as an indispensable European leader.

“The results of the legislative elections affect the political credibility of the president,” said Thierry Chopin, special adviser at the Institute Jacques Delors. This “has a negative impact on his influence on the European scene”, he added.

“From a strictly institutional point of view, European issues remain the strong prerogative of the president.

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“But if the president is prevented from carrying out structural reforms expected by European partners, this could have a negative effect,” he told AFP.

The success of the far-right, led by resurgent leader Marine Le Pen, has dealt a particularly harsh blow to a president who prides himself on being an anti-populist champion.

“We see trends in other member states of the European Union where a number of forces tend to destroy the EU from within”, said Tara Varma of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).