Photo: Stéphane de Sakutin Agence France-Presse “I take full responsibility for having triggered a movement of clarification,” French President Emmanuel Macron said of his decision to dissolve the National Assembly.
Jeremy Tordjman – Agence France-Presse in Paris
Posted at 8:19 a.m.
- Europe
Criticized for having dissolved the National Assembly after the debacle of his camp in the European elections, Emmanuel Macron called for a “start” in the face of “extremes”, at a time when the main right-wing party excluded its leader on Wednesday, in favor of an alliance unprecedented with the far right, a sanction rejected by the person concerned.
For the first time, the French head of state admitted his “responsibility” in the the failure of his camp, crushed on Sunday by the National Rally (RN, far right), while refusing “the spirit of defeat”. “The start is now,” he said.
During a press conference lasting more than an hour and a half, he worked to justify his decision to dissolve the Assembly, which plunged the country into uncertainty, surprised his own camp and imploded the right. around a possible alliance with the RN.
“I fully accept having triggered a clarification movement”, because “when 50% of French people vote at the extremes , that you have a relative majority in the Assembly, you cannot tell them: “We continue as if nothing had happened”,” he declared.
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Despite his popularity at half mast and the polls which make the RN the big favorite in the elections of June 30 and July 7, Emmanuel Macron called on the parties of his majority to begin discussions with other political groups which will have “been able to say no to the extremes” in order to “build a sincere and useful common project for the country” and “govern”.
Outlining some programmatic measures (great debate on secularism, ban on telephone to those under 11 years old…), the president above all sent back to back the extreme right, which advocates “exclusion”, and the extreme left embodied by La France insoumise (LFI), which he accuses of ” 'anti-Semitism and anti-parliamentarism'.
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“I say the extreme right when speaking of the National Rally, because its leaders continue to say that there are real and false French people, continue to consider reducing press freedom or rejecting the State of right,” he said, emphasizing the dangers of the RN coming to power, which garnered 31.37% of the votes at the polls on Sunday in France.
< p>He also accused the RN of maintaining an “ambiguity towards Russia” on Ukraine and of wanting “an exit from NATO”.
Mr. Macron also targeted LFI, castigating the alliance, “indecent” according to him, between this formation and the socialist and communist parties, as well as the Greens.
The construction of this new “Popular Front” is taking shape with an agreement concluded for the distribution of almost all of the 577 constituencies for the next legislative elections.
The right-wing opposition is plunging , she, in a deep crisis.
The founder of LFI, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, for his part said he felt “capable” of being prime minister in the event of a victory for the left, but called for “waiting” for the result of the elections. The question of the personality who will lead the campaign remains open on the left, where Mr. Mélenchon is not unanimous.
Implosion on the right
The main conservative party in France, Les Républicains (LR) on Wednesday excluded their president, Éric Ciotti, who had triggered an internal crisis the day before by proposing an unprecedented alliance with the 'far right. An LR candidate will be opposed to him in his constituency.
But the decision, taken “unanimously” by the party's political bureau, was immediately contested by Mr. Ciotti, who deemed it “illegal” and affirmed that he would remain in office by boasting of the support of activists .
He indicated that 80 candidates supporting his approach would run in the legislative elections.
L'onde shock of the RN's push also affected the Reconquest movement! of the polemicist Éric Zemmour, presidential candidate in 2022.
Marion Maréchal, his head of list in the European elections, called for support for the candidates from the alliance between Éric Ciotti and the RN, directly opposing Mr. Zemmour. The latter subsequently announced the exclusion of Ms. Maréchal “from this party that she has always despised.”
On the side of the majority, the debate is also rising on the place that Emmanuel Macron must play in the campaign, certain deputies and executives fearing a sanction vote linked to the rejection of the president by part of the public.
The president “is not here to campaign for the legislative elections. So, I will not campaign,” replied Mr. Macron.
According to an ELABE poll published on Wednesday, the RN would come out on top by a wide margin, followed by the Popular Front and the presidential majority, but without securing an absolute majority in the National Assembly.
“Surreal” day at the French right-wing party
“We are in the lunatics”: the French right-wing party Les Républicains (LR) found itself on Wednesday in open war against its president Éric Ciotti, isolated in his choice to ally with the National Rally, but determined to stay in office despite his exclusion.
The executives have one goal: to have Éric Ciotti excluded. But he disputes the validity of their meeting.
Even more insane, he orders the closure of the party headquarters to “guarantee the safety of staff”. At noon sharp, the large blue doors of 4, place du Palais Bourbon close. The staff are out, security is not answering the intercom… The general secretary, Annie Genevard, will only reopen the gate after 5 p.m. with a duplicate key, in a new, astonishing scene.
France Media Agency