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The French president called on other people of good will to unite to protect the Republic in the early elections that he decided to call.
By Roger Cohen
Report from Paris
French President Emmanuel Macron declared himself an “incorrigible optimist” and on Wednesday called on all French people “who reject extremes” to vote for centrist parties in early elections and thus save the Republic from right-wing intolerance and anti-Semitism. on the left derecha. la.
In a two-hour press conference, the third of which consisted of a speech by the president, Macron painted a grim picture of economic chaos, anarchy and a society where there would be “real French and small” if Pen’s Marine Le Rassemblement National came to power.
“I have no goal of handing over the keys of force to the right in 2027,” promised Macron, whose term is limited, alluding to the upcoming presidential elections.
However, by dissolving the National Assembly and calling legislative elections in 18 days, Macron has opened up the option of having to hand over some of the keys in 2024. Their bet that the National Rally, which won more than twice as many votes through Macron’s centrist alliance in Sunday’s European elections, will not repeat that functionality in a national vote is the biggest risk.
If the National Rally appears to be by far the main party in the June 30 and July 7 elections, as the latest polls indicate, Macron would likely be forced to appoint a prime minister from Le Pen’s party, and probably its president. Jordán Bardella, 28 years old.
Asked why he rolled the dice, Macron replied that it was imperative to have a “clarification,” a word he has repeatedly returned to. He would have disrespected the will of the people, he insisted, if he had ignored the fact that “50% of French people voted for the extremes” in the European elections, referring to the votes of the far-right and far-left parties.
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