“I have decided to give you a choice… therefore I am dissolving Parliament tonight.”
Paris:
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Sunday he would dissolve parliament and call early legislative elections after his far-right party defeated his centrist coalition in EU opinion polls.
In a speech to the nation, President Macron announced that the first round of voting in the National Assembly and lower house elections would take place on June 30, with the second round on July 7.
Macron acknowledged that the EU election results were “not a good result for the parties that defend Europe.” He pointed out that far-right parties won nearly 40% of the vote in France’s EU elections, including the top vote-getter, the Rally National (RN).
“Far-right parties are gaining strength all over the continent. This is a situation I cannot give up on,” he said.
“I have decided to give you a choice… therefore I am dissolving Parliament tonight.”
“This decision is grave and weighty, but it is also a vote of confidence. I trust in my dear compatriots and in the French people’s ability to make the best choices for themselves and for future generations.”
According to forecasts by several polling companies, the Renaissance Union, led by Jordan Bardella (28), was expected to receive 32.3-33 percent of the vote, while the Renaissance Union, led by Macron’s Renaissance Party, was expected to receive 14.8-15.2 percent of the vote.
Macron warned on Thursday that the EU was in danger of being “sabotaged” by the large presence of far-right forces in the European Parliament after this week’s elections.
The result also marks a key moment as attention shifts to France’s 2027 presidential election, in which Macron cannot run again and Marine Le Pen, the RN’s nominal leader, sees the best chance of winning the Elysee Palace.
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