Macron calls snap election after huge gains by far right
The Independent|June 10, 2024
French president responds to surge of populist parties in France and across the bloc in European Union elections
TARA COBHAM, JOE MIDDLETON
Macron calls snap election after huge gains by far right

The French president has said he will dissolve parliament and call a snap election after his party suffered a crushing defeat in elections for the European parliament as surging far-right parties dealt blows across the bloc.

Addressing the nation from the Elysee presidential palace yesterday, Emmanuel Macron announced the dissolution of the National Assembly and called for legislative elections to be held on 20 June and 7 July.

In a hugely politically risky move, he said: “I’ve decided to give you back the choice of our parliamentary future through the vote. I am therefore dissolving the National Assembly.”

Mr Macron 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,” the president said.

Voting to elect the European Union’s regional lawmakers for the next five-year term ended at 2100 GMT yesterday after the last remaining polls closed in Italy. France is electing 81 members of the European parliament, which has 720 seats in total.

It marked the conclusion of a marathon election spanning four days across 27 bloc member countries involving some 450 million people. With official results expected any moment, initial projections provided by the European Union indicate the rise of the far right was even more astonishing than many analysts predicted.

Esta historia es de la edición June 10, 2024 de The Independent.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición June 10, 2024 de The Independent.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE THE INDEPENDENTVer todo
Relax Kemi, history's on your side in the battle with Farage
The Independent

Relax Kemi, history's on your side in the battle with Farage

Conservative MPs are worried. They weren’t worried when Andrea Jenkyns, formerly one of their number, defected to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party.

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 11, 2024
Unlike Starmer, Farage's charisma lights up the room
The Independent

Unlike Starmer, Farage's charisma lights up the room

The extraordinary poll showing Reform UK has overtaken the Labour Party in popularity can be attributed to many factors.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 11, 2024
Okolie follows in footsteps of giants with weight switch
The Independent

Okolie follows in footsteps of giants with weight switch

Lawrence Okolie is a big lad, and he has always been a big lad.

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 11, 2024
Year of living dangerously: our season awards for 2024
The Independent

Year of living dangerously: our season awards for 2024

Kieran Jackson on best driver, biggest shock and much more

time-read
4 minutos  |
December 11, 2024
Injury-plagued City cannot afford to slip up in Turin
The Independent

Injury-plagued City cannot afford to slip up in Turin

Manchester City's manager had his head in his hands.

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 11, 2024
Liverpool's imperfect win maintains perfect campaign
The Independent

Liverpool's imperfect win maintains perfect campaign

The mathematics of a complicated competition may remain unclear but one element is apparent.

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 11, 2024
Thames Water's operation is simply not good enough
The Independent

Thames Water's operation is simply not good enough

Deeply in debt and proposing huge price hikes, the troubled company is holding customers to ransom

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 11, 2024
Murdoch loses court case in real-life 'Succession' battle
The Independent

Murdoch loses court case in real-life 'Succession' battle

Rupert Murdoch's attempt to give his eldest son control of his family media empire has been blocked by a US court after a lengthy legal battle with three of his other children.

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 11, 2024
Netanyahu takes witness stand in corruption trial
The Independent

Netanyahu takes witness stand in corruption trial

Benjamin Netanyahu has become Israel’s first sitting prime minister to testify as a criminal defendant – having taken the witness stand in his lengthy corruption trial.

time-read
3 minutos  |
December 11, 2024
US shooting suspect shouts as he's dragged into court
The Independent

US shooting suspect shouts as he's dragged into court

Mangione: 'It's an insult to the intelligence of Americans'

time-read
2 minutos  |
December 11, 2024