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257

France's Macron dissolves parliament, calls new elections (www.dw.com)

submitted 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

45 comments fedilink hide all child comments

French President Emmanuel Macron has dissolved the lower house of parliament and announced fresh elections after his party's poor performance in the EU elections. His party was defeated by the far-right National Rally.

French President Emanuel Macron announced Sunday he was dissolving the National Assembly and calling a snap election after his centrist alliance was trounced by the far-right National Rally in the European Parliament elections.

According to the first exit polls, the National Rally won around 32%, more than double Macron's pro-EU coalition, which received 15% of the vote.

The first round of France's parliamentary election will be held on June 30 and a second round is scheduled for July 7.

Exit polls on Sunday have shown the far-right making substantial gains in other member states in the European Parliament election, including in Germany and Austria.

top 45 comments

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[–] [email protected] 104 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Scary shit.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It’s a bold move cotton, let’s see if it pays off

[–] loutr 20 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Didn't pay off for Chirac but it was the left that took power, let's hope we don't have as many fascists as yesterday's results seem to indicate.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago (1 children)

I bet you we will get a RN prime minister next month... I don't know what's Macron's move, but he is really to bet on our heads and democratic system with a roll of die.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Maybe he thinks if the RN share power for the next couple of years, people won’t see them as the outsiders that are against the system, which seems to be driving their voterbase. Basically betting on the fact that all incumbents are unpopular in France, so if he gives the RN some power now, they won’t be able to win the 2027 presidential elections.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago

Accelerationism theory. Maybe, but that is a gamble, that could cost us our democracy.

[–] [email protected] 64 points 5 months ago

It's like everyone is putting on their evil pants, getting ready to rewrite history after WWIII

[–] [email protected] 60 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Oh no, is France going to go full fascist now too?

[–] [email protected] 30 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Maybe they’ll show us how to solve the problem… again.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

France solved this problem before? could you explain, please

[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 months ago (1 children)

French Revolution

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

Ah! Keeping in line with the brevity of your claim: that’s nonsense

[–] [email protected] 25 points 5 months ago (2 children)

It's so weird how the prime minister can just do that. Why?

[–] [email protected] 61 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Not PM, president. It's part of the constitution to be able to dissolve the National Assembly.

[+] [email protected] -56 points 5 months ago (4 children)

That's fucking stupid.

[–] [email protected] 73 points 5 months ago (1 children)

No, it really isn't... being able to essentially declare no confidence in your legislature and immediately begin the election process is, in general, a great thing.

[–] [email protected] -4 points 5 months ago (2 children)

But... Why? Why is it "the president's" legislature?

[–] [email protected] 27 points 5 months ago (1 children)

France is just an odder case than most parliamentary systems. In short, this places the heads of government closer to the will of the people and requires more coalition building when there isn't a clear consensus for policy from the electorate.

[–] xmunk 11 points 5 months ago

Most parliamentary systems also allow snap elections - there is usually a maximum length allowed before the next election but the PM can always call one earlier.

This has happened pretty frequently up here in Canada and Trudeau will time elections after good news if the LPC polling particularly strongly.

I think this is an overall good thing, it means that as long as a party is delivering success about once every four years it can remain in power - while allowing it to do the unpopular but necessary things in the interim. A hated party can't survive in power, but a party that invests in the long term can thrive... it does have a dark side though. The party in power may engage in frivolous bullshit before the election (like unproductive handouts) to try and sway public opinion. It's up to the public to see through short term bullshit and judge a party more long-term.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It doesn't belong to the president, no. Think of it as Macron basically asking the French people if this (the anti-EU coalition that did so well in the election) is what they want as a whole. Because if so, their parliament is not properly representing their views.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It seems weird as an american for anyone in the executive branch to have the power to dissolve the legislative, even if (and I assume there are) requirements for an election in X amount of time, can't do it too often, etc.

Here in the US Congress isn't just lawmakers, they do investigations, have committees, etc. and act as a check on executive power. It would be weird if the US president would be able to just dissolve Congress

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Interesting viewpoint. As a fellow American, I think that that kind of power would actually give POTUS the amount of power that the public seems to think they have. It's really the only way the federal government has to hold a Swiss-style referendum on a topic.

even if (and I assume there are) requirements for an election in X amount of time, can’t do it too often, etc.

I think the check there is "Why have you done this twice in 6 months? Parliament/Congress/Legislature, please impeach this clown."

Here in the US Congress isn’t just lawmakers, they do investigations, have committees, etc. and act as a check on executive power

Most legislatures around the world do the same things? I'm not sure why you think the French government is so different, especially given how much French culture/politics/philosophy influenced the Founding Farmers.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

"Hey let's impeach this idiot"

"Hey sorry we gotta focus on reelection because aformentoned idiot said so"

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

I think you forget that America has created possibly the dumbest election cycle known to man. I imagine it's not nearly as drawn out in France, especially for a snap election like this.

Also, an impeachment would 100% override the dissolution. That happens in America, too, before you mention it; when an impeachment vote is called pretty much everything else comes to a standstill.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

That's a product of the population not the constitution. And no I did not forget lol.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (2 children)

Well, it's a risky move. Especially since just tonight, Far Right won by a landslide in the EU Parliement elections, so it's likely the results will play against him.

Many of us (in the french subs) think it might be an attempt on his part to get far right into power through the parliment to show electors that all they spout is bull, and make them to suffer hard losses in the 2027 presidential elections.

Edit: some news drop and he apparently believes he can make big wins in this one. We'll see if this bet will pay off, but personally, I sincerly doubt it will ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[–] [email protected] 5 points 5 months ago

That worked so well for the Germans in 1933, just do it again!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

If that's true that is scary. However to call an election before the ballots are even cold does that feel like he's admitting defeat?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Honestly (that's just my personal opinion but) with the way he's been acting in the past few weeks after polls gave Far Right far ahead of his party, Macron's been looking more and more and more desperate. He tried debates between his PM and the Far Right candidate, made a big speech 2 days before the election to plea against far right (a speech in which were pointed out his many contradictions), his PM intervined out of the blue in a debate between each party's lead EU MEP (most awkward moment in a political debate I've ever seen, denounced by every journalist union).

His popularity has been dwindling (with reason) since 2017 and only won the 2022 elections by virtue of not being far right (and the people refused to give him majority in the parliement in exchange). In the past two years, he's been enacting austerity measure after austerity measure several of which with zero approval, bypassed parliement to get them into law, and barely avoided having his governement destituted (by parliement) by the skin of his teeth. And you know what's worst? His austerity measures didn't even 'save public finances' because following each of them, he gave additional tax breaks to companies, which means our budget deficit is in a worse shape than it was in 2017.

Long story short, he's been playing stupid games for the last few years, and the stupid price is that Far Right is now the first party in France and nobody has a clue on how to get them down bar them completely failing at ruling.

(Of course it isn't just his fault that Far Right is on the rise, but he IS a pretty big cause)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Far Right is now the first party in France and nobody has a clue on how to get them down bar them completely failing at ruling.

Is this another case of doing like the neoliberals do over in the States, trying everything but measures that would actually help the populace instead of funneling their money into wealthy people's pockets?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Ehh... a proper political analyst would probably add some nuance to that, but that's a kind of how it feels (the austerity measures were like pills forced down our throats that only made us sicker). Keep in mind there are other factors in play like:

billionaires buying out more and more newspapers/TV channels and giving far right way more coverage than any other party
beyond wealth gap increase, inflation being on the rise + the disastruous state of the housing market made people poorer and poorer
the soc-dems have messed up their presidency back in 2012 and the traditional right wing having imploded after a big scandal and Macron's surge
Russia apparently paying huge desinformation campaigns here

... and probably some more I forgot to add.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 5 months ago (2 children)

You don't seem to understand what "dissolving the government" means here and in most parliamentary systems.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 5 months ago

So they don't throw the ministers into big vats if acid?

[–] xmunk 6 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

To be fair, it's a needlessly permanent and scary sounding term for a regular part of the functioning of a parliamentary democracy.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

It is. Dissolve is needlessly permanent - whatever happened to "disband"?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 5 months ago

I love the nuance in this comics and how it seeks to understand why it is the way it is before passing judgement.

Or, ya know, kneejerk it.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 months ago

France has a powerful executive. More powerful than even the US president, inside their own system.

I have heard the French presidency described as an "elected dictator."

Macron wants people to see what the far right has to offer and hopefully realize they don't like it before the presidency goes up for grabs.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

This is the best summary I could come up with:

"I've decided to give you back the choice of our parliamentary future through the vote.

I am therefore dissolving the National Assembly," Macron said in an address to the nation.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated...

The original article contains 71 words, the summary contains 71 words. Saved 0%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[–] [email protected] 38 points 5 months ago

[+] [email protected] -48 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (5 children)

I’m confused. So Macron’s party was democratically voted out by the people? So instead of accepting defeat like any rational person/party would, he decided to call a mulligan and do it all over again? What’s he going to do if they lose a second time?

As an American, I feel like this is somewhat familiar, and would have negative consequences.

Edit: I will admit, I am not as savvy with foreign politics. I jumped the gun, and made an incorrect assumption based on my emotions. For that, I apologize. I do want to thank k those who took the time to explain it to me; I have learned something today, and it’s appreciated.

[–] [email protected] 39 points 5 months ago

Basically the opposite of what you've suggested. Theoretically this is allowing the parliament to more closely align with what the EU elections suggest the people want. Obviously he's probably hoping that his party is voted back into power, indicating that France actually does support a pro-EU stance, but that's not guaranteed to happen.

[–] Kecessa 28 points 5 months ago

Two separate elections, he's got power in France but at the European level people just voted for another party, so he's started the election process in France to let people decide if they want the party in power in France to reflect the choice they just made at the European level.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

His party lost hard in the EU Parliement elections tonight. The last legislative elections in France were a few years ago, and this is the one he's calling for right now.

[–] freeman 21 points 5 months ago

As an American, I feel like this is somewhat familiar, and would have negative consequences.

Fucking poetic

[–] [email protected] 11 points 5 months ago

To explain it in American terms:

Pennsylvania has just voted in an election for US Congress on the federal level, and voted in the Republicans with huge gains. The Democratic Pennsylvania Governor then calls for an election for the state legislature of Pennsylvania (this can't be done in the US, but let's pretend it can) so that the people can elect a new state legislature that more closely aligns with their current position.