(Bloomberg) — Emmanuel Macron again tried to explain his decision to dissolve parliament, saying he wanted to take into account his party’s defeat in the European elections and avoid an even greater risk of future unrest.
Most read from Bloomberg
In an editorial in regional newspapers, Macron claimed that he had made his decision in the interests of the country above all else, including personal considerations.
“This dissolution was the only possible choice both to recognize your voice in the European elections and to respond to the disorder that is already here and to the greater disorder that is yet to come,” Macron wrote.
In the European parliamentary elections this month, Macron’s party and its allies received just 14.6% of the vote, compared to 31.4% for Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally. He announced that he would dissolve parliament that evening and set elections for June 30 and July 7. Polls in recent days show the National Rally leading in terms of voting intentions in the first round, followed by an alliance of left-wing parties, with Macron’s group trailing behind. in third place.
Macron’s election gamble is causing chaos and anger in his party
Just changing the Prime Minister or the government “would have been easy for me. But it would not have solved any problem,” Macron wrote.
In the letter, Macron said he had chosen to hold elections now because opposition parties planned to oust his government later this year, “which would have plunged our country into crisis at the time it has to approve the annual budget.
Elisabeth Borne, who was prime minister until January, said in Le Monde last week that her government could have passed certain legislation with votes from other parties. Other bills, such as budget or pension reform, used a constitutional provision known as 49.3, which allows the government to bypass parliament.
Some members of his movement, including the former head of the National Assembly, Yael Braun-Pivet, are now campaigning without Macron’s face on their pamphlets. Former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who heads an allied party, said Macron “killed the presidential majority.”
Voter message
Macron said he had gotten the message from voters.
“I am not blind: I am aware of the democratic malaise,” he wrote. “This gap between the people and those who govern the country that we have not been able to bridge.”
Yet he claimed his movement was the best line of defense against the “extreme right and left,” referring to the National Rally and the New Popular Front. This last group brings together the socialists, communists, greens and the far-left France Unbowed.
Macron reiterated that he had no intention of resigning before the end of his mandate in May 2027.
“I know this has come as a surprise to many of you and has caused concern, rejection and sometimes even anger towards me. I understand and I hear it,” he wrote. “Yes, the way we govern needs to change profoundly,” he said, echoing earlier promises to change his top-down style of governance.
Get Bloomberg’s coverage of the French elections in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter, The Paris Edition. Terminal users can register here. If you’re reading this online, this is the link you need.
Most read from Bloomberg Businessweek
©2024 BloombergLP
