Emmanuel Macron announced the dissolution of the National Assembly and called for parliamentary elections on June 30 following the sweeping victory of Marine Le Pen’s coalition.
It is reminded that exit polls bring Le Pen’s coalition to 32% and Macron’s to only 15.2%.
“So, I cannot, at the end of this day, act as if nothing has happened. In this situation, a fever has also taken hold of the public and parliamentary debate in our country in recent years,” said the President of the Republic, from the Élysée Palace.
“Therefore, after conducting the consultations provided for in Article 12 of our Constitution, I have decided to give you again the choice of our parliamentary future by voting,” he added.
“I will sign in a few minutes the decree convening the parliamentary elections to be held on June 30 for the first round and on July 7 for the second,” added Emmanuel Macron.
Bardella was asking for parliamentary elections
Just before President Macron’s announcements, the head of the National Rally’s euro-list, Jordan Bardella, directly asked the president to dissolve the National Assembly and call for parliamentary elections.
It is not so much the clear victory that these results give to the National Rally of Marine Le Pen, with the RN, whose euro-list Bardella leads, leading with 31.5%, a percentage similar to that shown by all pre-election polls, as the collapse of President Emmanuel Macron’s party, which barely exceeds the psychological threshold of 15.2%.
Neither the radical reshuffle months ago, nor the almost “warlike” tones towards Ukraine, nor the parade of dozens of leaders from all over the Western world in the last pre-election week, which could potentially upgrade his profile, were sufficient to contain the collapse of Macron’s party, which is paying the price for the failure of its management of illegal immigration, energy, and the cost of living, as well as the long-standing rupture with the unions due to the reforms it promoted in the social security – pension system.
Bardella’s reaction was clear: “Our compatriots expressed tonight the desire for change, but also a path for the future. (…) Tonight, a wind of hope rose over France and it is just beginning,” he said, adding that “a clear message has been sent to Emmanuel Macron and European leaders. We welcome this result with humility, gravity, and a spirit imbued with very high responsibility.”
And he continued: “The unprecedented gap between the presidential majority and the leading opposition party tonight reflects a strong condemnation and a clear rejection of the policy led by Emmanuel Macron and his government. The President of the Republic cannot remain deaf to the message,” he said, adding that he formally asks the head of state, whom he considers “weakened” by this result, to dissolve the National Assembly and thus organize new parliamentary elections.
