Photo by Daniel Roe on Unsplash
A senior MEP has criticised Emmanuel Macron for calling the snap general election in France.
Danuta Huebner says the move has paved the way for a possible anti-EU French government.
She was speaking to this website after the shock weekend election which saw major gains for the National Rally.
On Monday, France’s political parties sought to build a united front aimed at blocking the path to government of Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) after it made historic gains to win the first round of a parliamentary election.
The RN and its allies won Sunday’s round with 33% of the vote, followed by a left-wing bloc with 28% and well ahead of President Emmanuel Macron’s broad alliance of centrists, who scored just 22%, official results showed.
Huebner, a long serving Polish MEP and a former EU commissioner, told this site, “My problem with the French election is that the decision of the French President allowed a radical, populist and anti European party – whose victory Vladimir Putin celebrated with a bottle of French Champagne – to use the momentum to move forward.”
The centre right deputy added, “Members of the new French government will be shaping a long list of very important legislation, implementing reforms announced in the strategic Agenda and endorsed by the June European Council.”
She added, “These are important reforms shaping Europe’s capabilities to help it compete globally and making it fit for the crumbling world.”
The MEP said, “The new government in France might also have a direct impact on who will be the next EU commissioner from France.”
The key thing now and what the world is focused on is how the French will vote in Sunday’s 2nd round run off.
Of the 577 seats in the French National Assembly, the parliament, RN needs 289 to form an absolute majority and put through its programme on immigration, law and order, and tax cuts.
RN leader Jordan Bardella, who hopes to be France’s next PM, appealed to voters to make a choice between a left-wing alliance he called “an existential threat to the French nation” and a party of patriots ready to leap into action.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who may be days from losing his job, says the stakes are clear – to stop the far right winning an absolute majority.
The RN gains were welcomed by nationalists and far-right groups across Europe, including Italy’s League and Spain’s Vox. Pedro Sanchez, Spain’s Socialist premier, said left-leaning parties could still block an outright RN victory.
