French president calls snap legislative elections June 30

PARIS -- French President Emmanuel Macron announced dissolution of the National Assembly and called new legislative elections Sunday evening after his Renaissance party suffered a heavy defeat in the European Parliament (EP) elections, according to a live broadcast of local media BFMTV.

The Renaissance party gained 15.2 percent of the votes in 2024 EP elections, much behind the opposition far-right National Rally (RN), which received 31.8 percent of the votes.

"I have decided to give you back the choice of your parliamentary future through the vote. I am therefore dissolving the National Assembly this evening," Macron said in a short speech, adding that elections to the National Assembly are to take place in two rounds on June 30 and July 7.

"This is a serious, weighty decision. But it is above all an act of trust," he added.

"The unprecedented gap between the presidential majority and the leading opposition party reflects a stinging disavowal and rejection of the policies led by Emmanuel Macron," RN President Jordan Bardella said after the EP elections results were unveiled, quoted by local media.

"We're ready for it. I call on French people to join us in forming around the RN a majority in the service of the only cause that guides our steps: France." parliamentary party leader of RN, Marine Le Pen, said Sunday evening on social media platform X.

The EP elections were held on June 6-9, with voters of the 27 EU member states selecting 720 lawmakers to the 10th EP.