Paris was in turmoil as President Emmanuel Macron made a shocking announcement on Sunday. In the face of his party’s crushing defeat at the hands of far-right candidates in the European Union election, he dissolved parliament and called for a fresh election.
Macron’s liberal Renaissance party was projected to win only 15.2 percent of the vote, while the far-right National Rally was predicted to take the lead with 31.5 percent.
It was clear that France needed a change, and Macron acknowledged this in his address to the nation. “France needs a clear majority in serenity and harmony,” he said. “To be French, at heart, is about choosing to write history, not being driven by it.”
But as Macron’s supporters expressed disbelief and disappointment over his decision to dissolve parliament, those on the right were jubilant. The National Rally party had long called for this move and their victory in the EU election only solidified their stance.
Macron, who lost his majority at the National Assembly in 2022, is taking a big risk with the move that could backfire and increase the chances of Le Pen to eventually take power.
The French president said the decision was “serious” but showed his “confidence in our democracy, in letting the sovereign people have their say.”
“In the next few days, I’ll be saying what I think is the right direction for the nation. I’ve heard your message, your concerns, and I won’t leave them unanswered,” he said.
The initial indications are a hard blow for Macron, who has been advocating for Europe-wide efforts to defend Ukraine and the need for the EU to boost its own defenses and industry.
The National Rally’s lead candidate for the EU election, Jordan Bardella, wants to limit free movement of migrants by carrying out national border controls and dial back EU climate rules. The party no longer wants to leave the EU and the euro, but aims to weaken it from within.
As Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Rally and famed Euroskeptic, took the stage alongside lead candidate Bardella, their supporters erupted into cheers and song. They chanted “Dissolution, dissolution!” as they watched Macron’s address from an electoral event.
Le Pen welcomed Macron’s decision, stating that it was in line with the logic of France’s Fifth Republic. She also sent a message to Brussels through her speech, calling for an end to “this painful epoch of globalism.”
She spoke on stage next to the National Rally’s lead candidate for the EU election, Jordan Bardella. As she finished speaking, the audience of several hundred sang the French national anthem, the Marseillaise, waved French tricolors and visited the buffet to get more drinks.
The atmosphere at the event was electric as supporters waved French tricolors and sang their national anthem. It was clear that they saw this moment as a turning point for their country.
