Vidostream | News, sport and opinion from the Vidostream's US edition

https://vidostream.com

Macron gambles on snap French election after Le Pen victory in EU vote

President’s shock move attempts to thwart advance of far-right Rassemblement National

Emmanuel Macron addresses the French nation on Sunday evening. ‘I have decided to give you back the choice of our parliamentary future with a vote’

Emmanuel Macron addresses the French nation on Sunday evening. ‘I have decided to give you back the choice of our parliamentary future with a vote’

President Emmanuel Macron stunned France on Sunday when he called snap parliamentary elections after his centrist alliance was trounced by Marine Le Pen’s far-right movement in a European parliamentary vote.

Exit polls showed the Rassemblement National (RN) secured 31.5 per cent of the vote compared with 14.5 per cent for the French president’s centrist alliance, a stinging blow to Macron. He appeared to have only narrowly avoided a humiliating third place behind the centre-left, which took 14 per cent of the vote.

“For me, who always considers that a united, strong, independent Europe is good for France, this is a situation which I cannot countenance,” he said. “I have decided to give you back the choice of our parliamentary future with a vote.”

The first round of the parliamentary elections will be held in just three weeks, on June 30, with a run-off on July 7.

The dissolution is an extraordinary gamble by the French leader who has already lost his parliamentary majority after winning a second term as president two years ago. His alliance could be crushed, which would force him to appoint a prime minister from another party, such as the centre-right Les Republicains or even the far-right RN, in an arrangement known as a “cohabitation”.

Read More (...)

Author: Editors Desk, Leila Abboud and Sarah White in Paris

Source: Financial Times

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. By continuing to browse, you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy.
You did not use the site, Click here to remain logged. Timeout: 60 second