France President Macron calls snap legislative elections after loss to far-right in EU polls - Times of India

Source: The Times of India
Author: Toi World Desk

NEW DELHI: French President Emmanuel Macron announced the dissolution of parliament and called for snap legislative elections following the far-right's strong performance in the EU polls. The first round of elections for the National Assembly will be held on June 30, with the second round on July 7.

Macron acknowledged that the EU election results were not favorable for pro-European parties, with far-right parties in France securing nearly 40 percent of the vote.

Macron expressed concern over the progress of far-right parties across the continent, accusing them of representing "the impoverishment" and "downgrading" of France. He said, "So, at the end of this day, I cannot act as if nothing had happened. I decided to give you the choice... Therefore I will dissolve the National Assembly tonight"

The National Rally (RN), led by Jordan Bardella, secured between 32.3 and 33 percent of the vote, while Macron's alliance, led by his Renaissance party, obtained 14.8 to 15.2 percent.

Bardella called on Macron to hold snap legislative elections, suggesting that the French had "expressed a desire for change."

The election results are seen as a critical moment, with attention turning to the 2027 presidential vote, where Marine Le Pen, the RN figurehead, believes she has her best chance of winning the Elysee Palace.

The dissolution of parliament will be the first such move since 1997, when then-President Jacques Chirac called snap legislative elections, only to see the left win a majority. This resulted in a period of "cohabitation," where the president and prime minister come from opposing political forces.

(With agency inputs)

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