PARIS. President Emmanuel Macron announced the dissolution of France’s lower house of parliament, prompting a snap election after his party’s defeat in the European elections. Voters will return to the polls for legislative elections in two rounds on June 30 and July 7.
The decision follows a significant setback for Macron’s pro-European centrist party in the EU parliamentary elections, where the far-right National Rally party emerged victorious. According to initial projections by French opinion poll institutes, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally secured around 31%-32% of the votes, more than double the approximately 15% garnered by Macron’s Renaissance party.
Macron, who remains in office for three more years, was not a candidate in the EU elections. He described his decision to dissolve parliament as “serious” but expressed confidence in democracy, saying, “I’ve heard your message, your concerns, and I won’t leave them unanswered.”
In the 2022 legislative elections, Macron’s centrist party won the most seats but fell short of a majority in the National Assembly, necessitating political negotiations to pass legislation. By calling for new elections, Macron risks strengthening Le Pen’s position and potentially leading to a “cohabitation” scenario, where he would have to appoint a prime minister from an opposition party with differing views.
Le Pen, who leads the National Rally group in the National Assembly, welcomed Macron’s decision, stating, “We’re ready for it. We’re ready to exercise power if the French people place their trust in us in these future legislative elections. We’re ready to turn the country around, ready to defend the interests of the French, ready to put an end to mass immigration, ready to make the purchasing power of the French a priority.”
The defeat in the EU elections is a significant blow to Macron, who has been a vocal advocate for European unity and defense. National Rally’s lead candidate for the EU elections, Jordan Bardella, campaigned on limiting migrant movement, reinstating national border controls, and reducing EU climate regulations. Although the party no longer seeks to exit the EU or the euro, it aims to weaken the union from within. “Tonight, our compatriots have expressed a desire for change,” Bardella declared. “Emmanuel Macron is tonight a weakened president.”
An official from Macron’s office justified the dissolution of the National Assembly by citing the “historic score of the far-right” and the current “parliamentarian disorder.” The official added, “You’re never wrong when you give the people a say.”
The EU election results also showed a resurgence of the Socialist Party, which received around 14% of the votes by advocating for stronger climate policies and protection for European businesses and workers. In response to Macron’s announcement, far-left politician Francois Ruffin called for unity among leftist leaders under a “Popular Front” banner, writing, “To avoid the worse, to win,” on social media platform X.
France is set to elect 81 members to the European Parliament, which comprises 720 seats in total.
Gary P Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
