FRENCH PRESIDENT EMMANUEL Macron has announced he is dissolving parliament and called snap legislative elections after the far-right trounced his centrist alliance in EU poll projections. 

The first round of elections for the lower house National Assembly will take place on June 30, with the second round on 7 July, Macron announced in an address to the nation. The outcome of the EU elections, he acknowledged, is “not a good result for parties who defend Europe.”

“France needs a clear majority in serenity and harmony. To be French, at heart, it is about choosing to write history, not be driven by it,” Macron said.

Macron noted that, including the top scoring National Rally (RN), far-right parties in France managed to take almost 40 percent of the vote in the EU elections in France.

“Far right parties… are progressing everywhere in the continent. It is a situation to which I cannot resign myself,” he said.

“I decided to give you the choice… Therefore I will dissolve the National Assembly tonight.

“This decision is serious and heavy but it is an act of confidence. Confidence in you, dear compatriots, and in the capacity of the French people to make the best choice for itself and future generations.”

Projected results from France put far-right Le Pen’s party around 33%, with 31 seats in the incoming European Parliament – more than double the score of President Emmanuel Macron’s liberals, who are expected to get 15%.

The National Assembly is the lower house of the French Parliament, with the Senate being the upper house. The Assembly has 577 députés and the French President has the power to dissolve it, which is an option designed to break political stalemates. 

French presidential elections were held in 2022 and today’s announcement will have French voters turning to their attention to the 2027 presidential race, which Macron cannot compete in. RN figurehead Marine Le Pen fancies sees that contest as her best-ever chance of winning the Elysee Palace.

With reporting from AFP