Newsman: French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the Macron dissolved the French parliament and called a snap legislative election in a surprise announcement after losing to the far right in a vote for the European Parliament. The first round of the French election is scheduled for June 30, followed by the second round on July 7.
His party suffered a heavy defeat in the election. an exit poll Sunday showed that his Renaissance party was set to be trounced by the National Rally, a far-right opposition party, in the European elections.
President Macron said: “I’ve decided to give you back the choice of our parliamentary future through the vote. I am therefore dissolving the National Assembly.” The vote will take place in two rounds on June 30 and July 7, he said, addressing to the nation from the Elyse presidential palace.
Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigration, nationalist party was estimated to get around 31%-32% of the votes, a historic result more than double the share of Macron’s Renaissance party, which was projected to reach around 15%.
Macron himself wasn’t a candidate in the EU elections and his term as president still runs for three more years.
He said the decision was “serious” but showed his “confidence in our democracy, in letting the sovereign people have their say.”
The strong gains for the far right in the French election could force Macron to govern with a hostile parliament, making it harder for his policy agenda and raising doubts about its ability to put government finances on a more sustainable footing
The National Rally’s lead candidate, Jordan Bardella immediately took on a presidential tone with his victory speech in Paris, opening with “My dear compatriots” and adding that “the French people have given their verdict, and it’s final.”
Macron acknowledged the thud of defeat. “I’ve heard your message, your concerns, and I won’t leave them unanswered,” he said, adding that calling a snap election only underscored his democratic credentials.
Under the French system, parliamentary elections are held to elect the 577 members of the lower house, the National Assembly. A separate election is held to choose the country’s president, and this is not scheduled until 2027.
These elections come at a testing time for voter confidence in a bloc of some 450 million people. Over the last five years, the EU has been shaken by the coronavirus pandemic, an economic slump and an energy crisis fueled by the biggest land conflict in Europe since the Second World War.
Macron’s centrist party won the most seats in 2022 legislative elections , but lost its majority at the National Assembly, forcing lawmakers into political maneuvering to pass bills.
