French President Emmanuel Macron has dissolved the French parliament after a crushing defeat in the European Elections.
In an address to the nation on national television, Macron said that the general election will take place on June 30 and July 7th.
“The result is clear. It is not a good result for the parties that defend Europe, including the presidential majority,” he said.
“It’s a situation I just can’t accept. This is why, having carried out the consultations provided for in Article 12 of our Constitution I have decided to give you back the choice of our parliamentary future by voting.”
Adresse aux Français. https://t.co/sqVqfH3gXy
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 9, 2024
Exit polls have indicated that the French hard-right party National Rally has defeated the President’s Renaissance movement by a large majority.
With a predicted 32.4 per cent of the vote on June 9, National Rally appeared to have solidified its status as the main opposition in France. This would be the first time since the 1980s that a party has surpassed 30 per cent in the European Parliament elections in France.
Renaissance secured just 15.2 per cent of the vote, closely followed by the Socialist Party at 14.3 per cent.
Earlier in the evening, National Rally president Jordan Bardella called for a general election.
“Tonight, Emmanuel Macron is a weakened President … and now his actions are reduced in the European Parliament,” he said.
“A wind of hope has risen in France and it’s only just begun.”
Emmanuel Macron est ce soir un président affaibli.
Le président ne peut pas rester sourd au message envoyé par les Français: nous lui demandons de prendre acte de cette nouvelle donne politique, d'en revenir au peuple français et d'organiser de nouvelles élections législatives. pic.twitter.com/ci9v1VwPcC
— Jordan Bardella (@J_Bardella) June 9, 2024
The polls also indicated that the French hard-left party La France Insoumise has continued its slow but steady growth in France. In 2019 it garnered 6.31 per cent of the vote but the June 9 polls suggested it will pull in 8.3 per cent.
