Polling stations opened this morning for a surprise general election called by President Emmanuel Macron to consolidate his power, but predictions suggest the president’s gamble may not pay off.
When globalist leader Emmanuel Macron suffered a crushing defeat in European Union-wide elections in early June, leading him to call new parliamentary elections to assert his authority, his message to French people seemed to be to reject what he saw as a protest vote against Marine Le Pen’s populists and rebel to get voters to go to the polls again for what actually matters: the French Parliament.
Macron loses big Euro election to populist Le Pen, immediately dissolves parliament and calls general elections https://t.co/qfYuRUgOGk
—Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) June 9, 2024
Mr Macron has reason to think this way: France’s Fifth Republic’s two-round voting system (today’s vote will be decided by a second round next Sunday) was designed to disadvantage fringe parties, but Ms Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) is willing to play the long game and improves its position with each election.
As is often the case in European elections, there are more than a dozen parties and groups likely to win seats in the next parliament. The presidency holds executive power, but as has been argued at length in French newspapers this week, parliament holds the purse strings and could prevent Macron from governing meaningfully by making Jordan Bardella, a close ally of Le Pen, prime minister.
The last major poll before election day suggests the RN could win a third of the vote, and late-stage polls also suggest voters themselves are more interested in the election, with turnout expected to be around a fifth higher than in the last election.
Panic in Paris as Macron’s ‘suicidal’ early elections pave the way for populist right’s power grabhttps://t.co/L4dZqqQL9E
—Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) June 11, 2024
Whatever happens between today’s runoff and next Sunday’s, violent street protests are sure to continue. In a fairly blatant attempt to intimidate the public into supporting his globalist-managerialist leadership, President Macron this week threatened a “civil war” if ordinary people were foolish enough to vote against him. Trade unions have threatened strikes if Le Pen’s RN wins, and a left-wing coalition representing a range of interests from pro-EU centrists to literal hard-line communists has vowed a “resistance” against Le Pen, perhaps something like a Black Bloc.
Beyond these immediate concerns, the question remains: what does this unexpected early election mean for France? Figaro Citing rumors from the Elysee Palace President Macron’s camp has already another If Macron loses, he will face new elections, and all indications are that he will. One insider said he will not let RN’s Bardella stay on as prime minister and would seek his removal as soon as possible.
There’s one problem, though: Because the French constitution requires a 12-month gap before fresh elections can be held, the palace is reportedly looking to strengthen Macron’s powers again in the winter of 2025. As things stand, Macron’s term in office runs until 2027.
Emmanuel Macron warns of ‘civil war’ in France if people vote for populistshttps://t.co/EHMzEX6IsS
—Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) June 25, 2024
