In a shock move, French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said he would dissolve parliament and call new legislative elections later this month after he was trounced in European elections by Marine Le Pen’s far-right party.
Macron said the results were a disaster for his government, and one he could not pretend to ignore. In a high-risk political gamble, less than two months before Paris hosts the Olympics, he said lower house elections would be called for June 30, with a second-round vote on July 7.
The challenges faced by France required clarity and the people deserved respect, Macron said. “At the end of this day, therefore, I cannot pretend that nothing has happened,” he added.
“The decision is serious and difficult, but it is above all an act of trust, trust in you, my dear compatriots,” the French president added.
Macron’s widely unexpected decision could leave him in a nearly powerless position if Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) party wins a parliamentary majority.
Led by telegenic 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, the RN won around 32 per cent of the vote in Sunday’s election, more than double Macron ticket’s 15 per cent, according to the first exit polls. The Socialists came within a whisker of Macron, with 14 per cent.
Additional reporting by dpa
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