Macron Dissolves Parliament, Calls Snap Elections After Le Pen's Victory with 32% in EU Vote

Jun 10, 2024, 01:12 AM

The European Parliament has experienced a significant rightward shift following the recent elections. Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party secured a decisive victory in France with approximately 32% of the vote, more than doubling the support for President Emmanuel Macron's centrist Renaissance party, which garnered around 15%. In response to the 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 rising influence of the far-right. The election results also saw Germany's conservative parties outperforming Chancellor Olaf Scholz's coalition, with the far-right AfD gaining 16.5% of the vote, SPD 14%, and Greens 12%. Additionally, Belgium's Prime Minister has resigned following the elections. The broader European political landscape has been marked by gains for nationalist and eurosceptic parties, while mainstream liberal and Green parties have lost ground.