The move comes after the president’s party was trounced in voting for the EU Parliament
French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the country’s National Assembly and called for a snap general election on Sunday. He cited the release of polls predicting a disastrous performance by his Renaissance party in the European parliament election as the reason for his decision. Macron’s allies are expected to be heavily defeated by the right-wing National Rally party, led by Marine Le Pen.
Explaining his decision, the president said he could not act as if “nothing happened,” admitting that the projected election result did not bode well for his government. Macron also expressed concerns about the apparent rise of nationalist forces, calling it a danger both to France and the EU as a whole.
According to exit polls and early projections, National Rally, led by Jordan Bardella, won roughly a third of the vote. Meanwhile, Macron’s alliance received only about 15% of votes.
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