European/France: Macron believes that people will make a “fairer” decision in early legislative elections
French President Emmanuel Macron today expressed confidence in the “capacity” of his fellow citizens to make the “fairest” decision in the legislative elections, hours after having anticipated going to the polls in light of the victory of far-right in Sunday’s Europeans.
In a message on the social network himself and for future generations”.
“My only ambition is to be useful to our country, which I love so much”, added the head of state, who announced the dissolution of the National Assembly after the release of the first polls, which already anticipated a fateful night for his party.
The far-right National Union party (Rassemblement national, RN, in its French acronym) won Sunday’s European elections with 31.37%, followed by Macron’s party coalition, with 14 60% and the coalition of socialists 13.83%.
In his speech on Sunday, Macron considered that he could not pretend that nothing had happened.
“After carrying out the consultations provided for in article 12 of our Constitution, I decided to return to you the choice of our future parliamentarian through voting”, he said.
“In a few moments, I will sign the decree calling for the legislative elections, which will take place on June 30th for the first round and on July 7th for the second”, he added.
Legislative elections were scheduled for June 2027, two months after the presidential elections.
This morning, the National Union announced Jordan Bardella as candidate for the position of Prime Minister of France.
“Jordan Bardella was elected European deputy, so he already has popular anointing” and “he is our candidate to go to Matignon [residência oficial do Chefe do Governo em França]”, announced the party’s vice-president, Sébastien Chenu to RTL radio.
For his part, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Séjourné, highlighted, in an interview with France Inter, that it will be “an important choice” and admitted that he would “probably” be a candidate.
“Like all political leaders, when I have to assume my responsibilities, I will assume mine”, he declared.
The left, for its part, must now test the possible reissue of an alliance like the one that gave rise to the New Popular Ecological and Social Union (NUPES), led by Insubmissive France (LFI, in French acronym).
The former presidential candidate of this party, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has already proclaimed on his X account that it is time for “unity”. “Urgent, strong, clear,” he highlighted.
However, the results of the European elections elevated the Socialist Party as the main reference on the left, achieving third place, less than a percentage point behind Macron’s coalition.
The leader of the socialists, Olivier Faure, launched a first appeal for unity on Sunday and today, in an interview with France Info, he insisted on the need to set up “a popular front against the extreme right”.
Faure, who confirmed the first contacts between different related groups, stated that Macron no longer has “the ability to put up barriers” to the far right.
