Overview

• François Bayrou has reopened discussions on proportional representation, beginning one-on-one meetings with party leaders on April 30.
• The far-right Rassemblement National (RN), led by Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, was the first to meet Bayrou, followed by consultations with Renaissance leaders on May 1.
• The RN supports proportional representation but demands a majority bonus for the leading list, while Renaissance, Les Républicains, and parts of the left oppose the reform.
• Bayrou aims to use the talks to ease tensions with the RN, which has threatened a motion of censure against the government.
• The current two-round majority voting system faces criticism for fostering legislative deadlock, but significant divisions remain over the structure and implications of proportional representation.