the evening when Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly

“I have decided to give you back the choice of our parliamentary future through voting. I am therefore dissolving the National Assembly this evening.” It is with these words that Emmanuel Macron, with a firm face and solemn tone, announced, Sunday June 9, at 9:01 p.m., the holding of new legislative elections on June 30 and July 7. This decision “serious, heavy”is the consequence of the historic score of the National Rally, whose list led by Jordan Bardella obtained 31.36% of the votes, according to the results published by the Ministry of the Interior.

A result that the Head of State widely criticized during his short speech, lasting a little over five minutes, during which he constantly targeted the score of the extreme right, “a danger for our nation, for our Europe, for France’s place in Europe and in the world”. In front of “the impoverishment of the French and the downgrading of our country”Emmanuel Macron therefore called on the French to “choose to write history rather than endure it”.

This shock decision turned election night upside down. It even forced TF1, which had planned to go on air at 9:15 p.m. for the France-Canada match, to extend its election night by 15 minutes and broadcast the Blues on a delayed basis. It also relegated to the background the other political lessons of the election: from the scathing defeat of the presidential camp and Valérie Hayer to the good score of the PS-Place publique list led by Raphaël Glucksmann, including the clear decline of the environmentalists. On France 2, François Bayrou reacted first, evoking a decision “historical”. At his side, defeated faces, amazement and a smile: that of Laurent Jacobelli, RN deputy for Moselle, for whom this response “is the one we were waiting for.”.

Because this dissolution, which Jordan Bardella had called for wishes during the campaign and during his speech after the announcement of the results, went from rumor to reality between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. After the revelation of the estimates of polling institutes and the first reactions from campaign headquarters, the little music of a dissolution gained weight with a communication from the Elysée shortly before 8 p.m., announcing a decision to take words from Emmanuel Macron in the evening, and small messages from executives announcing “a big thing”.

The earthquake therefore arrived at 9 p.m. Fifteen minutes later, Raphaël Glucksmann is one of the first candidates to react. An hour after showing up all smiles at his HQ, fist raised, the head of the PS-Place publique list is furious. “Emmanuel Macron complied with Bardella’s demands, nothing obliged him to do so. (…) It is an extremely dangerous game for democracy and institutions.”fumes the MEP, who says to himself “stunned by such behavior” of the President of the Republic.

A minute later, Marine Le Pen speaks from the HQ of the National Rally. Two rooms, two atmospheres: “We are ready to exercise power if the French trust us”, launches the former presidential candidate alongside Jordan Bardella. On France 2, Eric Zemmour’s partner, Sarah Knafo, elected MEP for Reconquête, is already anticipating the election and proposing joint candidates for the legislative elections to the RN. For his part, Jean-Luc Mélenchon believes that Emmanuel Macron “was right to dissolve, because he no longer has any legitimacy to continue his policy”. The head of the list of La France insoumise, Manon Aubry, also targets the head of state, speaking of a “stinging defeat” of the executive.

In the different HQs, the speeches follow one another and the images look similar. Stunned activists, a few tears like at the HQ of Raphaël Glucksmann, a leaden atmosphere at Valérie Hayer’s campaign evening, where everyone has already packed up at 10:30 p.m., and… dance moves on the RN side. At the same time, the far-right party’s staff meets for an exceptional executive office. The scene, captured by the cameras, strangely resembles government defense advice. Certain members of the executive, moreover, also gathered around the head of state. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who did not speak all evening, was present.

While the majority is pouting – former Macronist MP Valérie Thomas shares her “dread and its fear” on France 2 –, calls for unity from the left are beginning to emerge. On BFMTV, the rebellious MP François Ruffin pleads for a “LEFT united” and calls for resuscitating Nupes by addressing Marine Tondelier (Les Ecologistes-EELV), Fabien Roussel (French Communist Party) and Olivier Faure (Socialist Party). “We have a crazy person at the head of state, [Emmanuel Macron] is an arsonist”exclaims the elected official from Amiens.

At the same time, several rallies called by left-wing parties were organized in Paris. The head of the Les Ecologistes-EELV list, Marie Toussaint, affirms “that we will have to fight the battle” legislative elections and that it will push “so that the left and the ecologists come together”. At his side, many activists gathered at Place de la République shout slogans hostile to the extreme right, like “Youth annoys the National Front” Or “We are all anti-fascists”.

“The social left must regain the upper hand and put an end to the fascism that is on our doorstep”, says Mimosa, French teacher in Seine-Saint-Denis, interviewed by franceinfo. At the same time, activists from La France insoumise who had gathered elsewhere in the capital arrived at Place de la République. With a message: “People’s Union.”