Emmanuel Macron announced the dissolution of the National Assembly this Sunday, June 9, a few minutes after the first results of the European elections having placed the National Rally clearly in the lead.
A few minutes after the announcement of the first estimates of the results of the European elections this Sunday June 9, Emmanuel Macron spoke from the Elysée. The head of state, in a rare presidential address on election night, announced his decision to dissolve the National Assembly. “This decision is serious, heavy. It is above all an act of trust. I trust the French people to make the fairest choice for themselves and for future generations. Trust between our democracy, let the word be spoken given to the sovereign people, nothing is more republican,” explained the head of state.
“I have heard your message, your concerns, and I will not leave them unanswered,” he added. By this decision, and the appeal to article 12 of the Constitution of the 5th Republic, Emmanuel Macron has de facto recorded the organization of next legislative elections aimed at composing a new Assembly.
There will therefore be new elections in 2024 in France! And they will arrive quickly, very quickly since the Constitution provides for new elections within 20 to 40 days following the dissolution. The President of the Republic has therefore already confirmed the date of this new election. The first round of these 2024 legislative elections will be held on Sunday June 30, followed by the second round a week later on Sunday July 7, 2024.
An express campaign
The submission of candidatures marking the start of the campaign will take place very quickly since the campaign must begin on the second Monday preceding the vote. Which takes us to Monday June 17! The campaign is bound to be extremely fast with only two weeks leading up to the first round of voting on June 30, 2024.
Will these new legislative elections lead to a recomposition of the French political landscape? The previous legislative elections were held in spring 2022, following the re-election of Emmanuel Macron as President of the Republic. They produced a disappointing score for the presidential party which was unable to obtain an absolute majority, forcing it to deal with an opposition reinforced by the scores of the National Rally but also the new NUPES alliance. The Nupes had thus obtained 131 seats, the National Rally 89 seats of deputies and the Republicans 61 against 245 seats for Ensemble, the former name of the party of the presidential majority.
Immediately after the presidential address this Sunday, June 9, the main political representatives shared their reactions. “The president, responding to Jordan Bardella’s call, announced the dissolution of the National Assembly,” proclaimed Marine Le Pen, recalling that the leader of the RN had called for the dissolution shortly after his victory. “I can only welcome this decision which is in line with the logic of the institutions of the 5th republic. We are ready to exercise power if the French trust us. We are ready to restore the country,” explained the former -candidate for the presidential election.
On the left, interviewed on TF1, Raphaël Glucksmann, who led the PS-PP list in the European elections, took note and assured that “we will lead the fight because we will never resolve the arrival of the extreme right”. On BFM TV, Jean-Luc Mélenchon also reacted, judging that the President of the Republic “was right to dissolve because he no longer has any legitimacy to pursue his own policy”.