Macron’s decision to send voters back to the polls at the end of this month, came after his pro-EU party Renaissance was largely defeated by the extreme-right National Rally party of Marine Le Pen in Sunday’s election of a new European Parliament.
The extreme-right surge in France was replicated in several other countries in Europe. Marine Le Pen declared her party “ready to exercise power.”
French President Emmanuel Macron made a surprise announcement Sunday by dissolving the lower house of France’s parliament and sending voters back to the polls end of June to choose their lawmakers.
Macron’s decision came after his pro-EU party Renaissance was largely defeated by the extreme-right National Rally party of Marine Le Pen in Sunday’s election of a new European Parliament.
The legislative elections will take place in two rounds on June 30 and July 7.
Le Pen’s nationalist and anti-immigration partyu got around 32% of the votes, while Macron’s Renaissance party was projected to reach only around 15%.
Macron said his decision was “serious” but showed his “confidence in our democracy, in letting the sovereign people have their say.”
“I have heard your message, your concerns, and I won’t leave them unanswered,” he said.
“France needs a clear majority in serenity and harmony. To be French, at heart, is about choosing to write history, not being driven by it,” he added.
Le Pen declared her party “ready to exercise power,” and said “I can only welcome this decision (to dissolve the Assembly).”
If her party confirms its victory in the parliament elections, France might have a Prime Minister from the National Rally who would have to govern with President Macron whose term continues until the 2027 presidential election.
The extreme-right surge in France was replicated in several other countries in Europe. In Germany, Chancellor’s Olaf Scholz’s ruling coalition parties were beaten by the extreme-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which came second to the Conservatives of CDU-CSU. Extreme-right or populist parties were also on course to make gains in Austria, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy, according to early projections.