French President Emmanuel Macron has announced the dissolution of the country’s parliament, including the National Assembly, following his party’s significant setback in the European parliamentary elections, as reported by the media. Initial projections revealed that the far-right National Rally (RN) party secured 31.5 percent of the vote, surpassing Macron’s Renaissance Party, which obtained 15.2 percent, and the Socialists, who garnered 14.3 percent.
J’ai dissous ce soir l’Assemblée nationale. Une décision grave, lourde, mais avant tout un acte de confiance en vous, mes chers compatriotes. pic.twitter.com/EFeVCDzrlb
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 9, 2024
Jordan Bardella, the leader of RN, seized the moment to urge Macron to dissolve the French parliament in a triumphant speech, hailing the defeat as a turning point in the country’s political landscape. “This unprecedented defeat for the current government marks the end of a cycle, and Day 1 of the post-Macron era,” Bardella stated.
Concurrently, Macron addressed the nation in a comprehensive speech, revealing plans for the dissolution of the lower house of parliament and the organization of new parliamentary elections. The proposed electoral process will consist of two rounds, scheduled for June 30 and July 7 respectively. “I have decided to give you back the choice of your parliamentary future by voting. I am therefore dissolving the National Assembly this evening,” Macron declared on Sunday. He emphasized that while the decision was weighty, it reflected a fundamental trust in the French people’s ability to make informed decisions.
In the French political system, parliamentary elections determine the composition of the 577-member National Assembly. Notably, presidential elections, which determine the country’s leader, are separate and are not slated to occur until 2027.
The Ensemble coalition, comprising Macron’s Renaissance party, previously failed to secure an outright majority in the 2022 legislative elections, necessitating collaboration with external parties.
The European Union elections, recognized as the world’s second-largest democratic exercise after India’s elections, involve nearly 400 million voters across the EU. These elections will determine the allocation of 720 seats in the European Parliament, spanning regions from the Arctic circle to the borders of Africa and Asia. The election outcomes will significantly influence policies on critical global issues such as climate change, defense, migration, and international relations with key players like China and the United States.
