The President of the Republic delivered a speech on Sunday evening in reaction to the results of the European elections, marked by a large victory for the National Rally.
:quality(50)/2023/07/05/64a55fd777de4_placeholder-36b69ec8.png)
Published
Update
Reading time: 3 min
:quality(50)/2024/06/09/emmanuel-macron-0906-6665fbc3743de455414525.jpg)
Emmanuel Macron announced, on Sunday June 9, the dissolution of the National Assembly, on the evening of European elections marked by the large victory of the far right. Legislative elections will be held on June 30 and July 7, he said.
“I have heard your message, your concerns, and I will not leave them unanswered”declared the President of the Republic in a televised address, barely an hour after the results of the European vote.
:quality(50)/https%3A%2F%2Fassets.webservices.francetelevisions.fr%2Fv1%2Fassets%2Fimages%2F39%2F38%2F99%2Ffe0287b8-cbcc-47e5-b87e-737289181bd3.jpg)
Emmanuel Macron announces the dissolution of the National Assembly and legislative elections on June 30 and July 7.
The National Rally is credited with 31.5% of the votes, more than double the score of the presidential camp (14.5% for Valérie Hayer’s Renaissance list), according to an Ipsos estimate for France Télévisions, Radio France, France 24, RFI , Public Senate and LCP National Assembly. “I therefore cannot, at the end of this day, act as if nothing had happened”justified Emmanuel Macron. “Let the sovereign people have their say, there is nothing more republican.”
“I will sign in a few moments the decree convening the legislative elections, which will be held on June 30 for the first round, and July 7 for the second”, continued the head of state. The outcome of the European vote “is not a good result for the parties defending Europe”, “the rise of nationalists and demagogues is a danger to our nation”he added.
“We are ready to exercise power if the French trust us during these future legislative elections”, reacted Marine Le Pen, president of the National Rally group in the Assembly. Earlier, reacting to the victory of the list he led, Jordan Bardella had asked Emmanuel Macron “new legislative elections”.
“Emmanuel Macron complied with the demands of Jordan Bardella. It is in fact the National Rally which sets the tempo of French political life. Nothing obliged him to do so”declared Raphaël Glusckmann, head of the Socialist Party-Public Square list, which followed the presidential majority on Sunday. “This is an extremely dangerous game with democracy and institutions. I am stunned by such behavior.”
“I am extremely angry”reacted Marie Toussaint, who led the Les Ecologistes-EELV list. “This is a real challenge for our democracy,” she added, believing that “the extreme right [risquait] to come to power in the coming weeks.
“I appeal to my friends: let’s meet quickly, let’s work together”launched Fabien Roussel, the national secretary of the Communist Party.
Emmanuel Macron “playing with fire for a long time now”judged Mathilde Panot, the president of the La France insoumise group at the Assembly, before asserting: “We, Insoumis, are not afraid of the people, and we are ready to go before the voters.”
Emmanuel Macron’s decision was “the only solution”, said the boss of the Les Républicains party, Eric Ciotti. He specified that his party, which arrived on Sunday in fifth position with 7.2% of the votes, would go alone, under his “colors”early legislative elections, “without any form of coalition, cooperation, collaboration with this power which has damaged France so much”.
“The President of the Republic takes his responsibilities. This does not happen often in the history of our country”commented François Bayrou, the president of MoDem, close ally of Emmanuel Macron. “He takes his responsibilities and he says to the French: I give you the choice for the future.”