Official announcement from French government or credible news sources

Macron Calls Snap Elections After Le Pen's Far-Right Victory with 32% in EU Vote

Jun 10, 2024, 01:12 AM

The European Parliament elections have resulted in a significant shift to the right, with far-right parties making substantial gains. Marine Le Pen's National Rally party secured around 32% of the vote in France, decisively defeating President Emmanuel Macron's centrist Renaissance camp, which garnered only 15.2%. In response to this defeat, Macron announced the dissolution of the French National Assembly and called for snap legislative elections to be held on June 30 and July 7. This move is seen as a high-stakes gamble to counter the rise of far-right influence in French politics. Germany also saw its ruling coalition led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz suffer a major setback, with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party gaining 16.5% of the vote. The broader European landscape has seen a decline in support for traditional center-left parties, with the right-wing European People's Party (EPP) emerging as the largest faction in the European Parliament. In France, the Socialist-led camp received 14.3% of the vote, and the Greens garnered 12%.