French President Emmanuel Macron rejected the possibility of leaving the Elysee Palace, regardless of the momentum of the far-right party or the results of the upcoming parliamentary elections.
“The constitution was not written by the National Front (RN) party nor do they represent the spirit of the constitution,” President Macron commented to the magazine. Figaro On June 11, when asked about the possibility of RN winning the French parliamentary election and then asking him to resign.
“French state institutions are very clear. The role of the president is also very clearly defined, regardless of the election results,” he added.
French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to Berlin, Germany, on May 26. Image: AFP
President Macron on June 9 announced the dissolution of the parliament and the organization of early elections, after far-right parties won outstanding results in the election of French delegates to the European Parliament (EP).
The National Assembly is the equivalent of the House of Representatives in the French bicameral, with representatives elected by popular vote.
If the far-right National Front party wins a majority in the French parliament after the election, Mr. Macron will still retain the right to decide on foreign and defense policy, but will lose the right to decide on domestic policy, including foreign policy. economic and national security policy.
Mr. Macron also rejected criticism that he was wrong to suddenly dissolve parliament and hold elections. He believes he made the right choice and affirms that he “only thinks about the interests of the country”, declares his readiness to publicly debate with RN leader Marine Le Pen, and calls on voters to vote courageously.
Meanwhile, French voter surveys show that the RN is likely to win the most seats in parliament after two rounds of elections on June 30 and July 7, respectively, but is unlikely to become the dominant faction.
A survey by Toluna Harris Interactive and television channels Challenges, M6 and RTL showed that the far-right party could win 235-265 parliamentary deputies, a sharp increase compared to the result of 88 parliamentarians in the 2022 election.
The center-right coalition, led by Mr. Macron’s Renaissance party, could win 125-155 seats, down nearly half compared to 2022. Left-wing parties will win about 115-145 seats.
In an effort to break the stalemate between factions and form a governing coalition, the right-wing Republican Party (LR) has announced to join hands with RN in the upcoming election.
LR leader Eric Ciotti told TF1 television that his party would cooperate with RN candidates, “but will not change its own position”. Ciotti also confirmed that he has discussed forming a coalition with Ms. Marine Le Pen and RN President Jordan Bardella.
Le Pen praised Mr. Ciotti’s decision as a “courageous choice”, showing a “sense of responsibility”, calling on other members of the right-wing party to support this initiative. The LR Party has historical influence in French politics, with connections to three presidents including Charles de Gualle, Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy.
Meanwhile, Bruno Retailleau, leader of the LR party’s parliamentary group in the French Senate, criticized Mr. Ciotti for speaking without consultation with the entire party, emphasizing that “a political party does not revolve around a single individual.”
French Senate President Gerard Larcher, a senior member of the LR, declared that he personally “will never swallow” a compromise with far-right forces.
“Eric Ciotti spoke in a personal capacity. He needs to leave the party chairmanship immediately,” declared Olivier Marleix, leader of the LR parliamentary group in the French parliament.
President Macron won against Ms. Marine Le Pen in both elections in 2017 and 2022 respectively. Due to the constitution, Mr. Macron can only serve two consecutive terms and cannot participate in the election. presidential election in 2027, Ms. Le Pen is being evaluated as a bright candidate for the race to the Elysee Palace.
The President of France is the head of state, commander in chief of the armed forces and holds the highest power in the executive branch. The president has the right to appoint the prime minister and thereby decide on the members of the cabinet. However, the party controlling the parliament can also vote no confidence in the cabinet, thereby forcing the president to compromise on the decision to appoint the prime minister if he does not want the government to be deadlocked.