The announcement came after exit polls showed his alliance was defeated by the far-right National Rally (RN) in the EU parliamentary elections.
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that he will dissolve parliament and call new legislative elections after exit polls showed his coalition suffered a major defeat in the European Parliament elections to Marine Le Pen’s far-right Rally National (RN) party.
Macron said the results of Sunday’s European elections were grim for the government and could not be ignored. In an address to the nation, he said national elections would be held on June 30, with a second round of voting on July 7.
“This is a crucial moment for clarification,” Macron said. “I have heard your messages, your concerns and I am not going to not respond… France needs a clear majority to act with calm and harmony.”
“Far-right parties are gaining strength everywhere on the continent. This is a situation I cannot give up on,” he said.
Initial exit polls showed Le Pen’s National Rally, led by 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, won about 32% of the vote, more than double Macron’s 15%, with the Socialists trailing just behind on 14%.
Le Pen’s approval rating is up 10 percentage points since the last European Union elections in 2019, a strong showing with three years to go until the end of Macron’s final term, and could also spark a defection of senior figures from the centrist camp as the race for succession heats up.
“If the French people place their trust in us in the upcoming general elections, we are ready to take power,” Le Pen said at a rally shortly after Macron’s shock announcement.
Ms Le Pen and Ms Bardella have sought to position the EU elections as a mid-term referendum on Mr Macron’s confidence, capitalising on discontent over immigration, crime and a two-year inflation crisis.
The European elections are also a key moment for France, as Macron will not be able to run for president again in 2027 and Le Pen, as head of the RN, sees the best chance of winning the Elysée Palace.
Jacques Leland of the Global Policy Institute told Al Jazeera that the situation in France was a “terrible mess”.
“It’s a risky gamble,” he said, commenting on Macron’s decision.
“The European elections were used by the French as an arena to express their dissatisfaction with issues such as immigration and cuts to unemployment benefits,” he said.
“But they realize one thing about him. [Macron] At international level, he conveys a good image of France and Europe.”
