National Rally strikes a blow against Macron
Macron has decided to call a snap election following a crushing defeat in the EU elections
Having suffered a massive defeat in the European elections, French President Macron has dissolved parliament and called for fresh legislative elections to be held on June 30.
According to projections, Macron’s globalist Renaissance Party was on course to win between 14.8% and 15.2% of the vote, less than half the tally of National Rally, the national populist opposition party.
In a televised address on Sunday, Macron stated, “At the end of the day, therefore, I will not be able to act as if nothing happened… That is why… I have decided to give you the choice of our parliamentary future again, by voting.”
This is a welcome surprise not just for the people of France who are increasingly growing tired of Macron, but also for those of us who care about democracy and national sovereignty. Macron has now called a snap election three years before elections were officially due in 2027.
Many on the Cultural Left will say that this is madness and will open the doors for the “far-right” National Rally, who are way ahead in the polls. But for those of us who support greater democracy and accountability from our political elites, the calling of a snap election is something to be celebrated. More than anything it demonstrates the revolutionary power of the French electorate and their appetite for change.
This was indeed the message conveyed by Jordan Bardella, the 28-year old head of National Rally, who said that French voters had clearly “expressed a desire for change.”
While it is of course welcome that Macron has given the French people a democratic choice over the political future of their country, it is also a surprising move from a President who has in the past shown contempt for democracy. Without a majority in the French parliament, Macron has had to push legislation through without its consent, using a controversial constitutional tool. Essentially, he has been acting as an absolute monarch, passing legislation over the heads of parliamentarians.
So, what will this mean for France? Well first it’s important to note that Renaissance has a hill to climb before they stand a chance at winning. With just a few weeks to go before June 30, it looks likely that National Rally will secure twice as many votes as Macron’s party, that’s if the Euro election result is replicated.
On Sunday night, National Rally members celebrated the announcement. Former NR presidential candidate Marine Le Pen said that the party’s number of seats in Parliament, currently 88, could be vastly increased to “consecrate our movement as the great alternative political force” in France.
Were National Rally to win, it would severely frustrate Macron's ambitions of deeper European integration. National Rally opposes further European integration and moves towards a federal Europe. It has also in the past called for a referendum on France’s EU membership if significant sovereignty is lost and has advocated for a “Europe of Nations” with more sovereignty for nation states.
Unlike Macron’s Renaissance party, National Rally also wants strict immigration controls and policies to support French industries. It also advocates for a stronger welfare state that benefits French citizens. Other NR policies include increasing tax benefits for families and promoting traditional family values in education and public policy.
Culturally the two parties differ in that Renaissance is more globalist in its worldview and emphasises international cooperation as well as European federalism, the idea that the EU should become a federal state with an army and centralised fiscal powers. National Rally, on the other hand, believes more in national sovereignty and supporting French culture and domestic industries. Unlike Renaissance, RN is also critical of multiculturalism and supports policies that prioritize assimilation of immigrants into French culture rather than promoting cultural diversity.
Overall, it is clear that National Rally has already dealt a severe blow to Macron’s Renaissance. Whether the same will happen in the legislative elections remains to be seen.