France’s Macron rules out resigning ‘whatever the result’ of snap elections

French President Emmanuel Macron ruled out resigning, no matter what the result will be of the snap elections he called, to combat the rise of the far-right National Rally (RN), in an interview published on Tuesday (11 June).

“It is not the RN that writes the constitution, nor the spirit of it,” he told the French daily  newspaper, Figaro, when asked what he would do if the far-right Rassemblement National wins the legislative elections on June 30 and July 7, and called for his resignation.

“The institutions are clear, the place of the president is clear, and it is also clear whatever the result,” he added.

Macron dissolved the French National Assembly, the parliament’s lower chamber on Sunday (9 June), calling for a snap election after the publication of the results of the EU elections, which in France saw the RN winning twice as many seats as Macron’s lists.

In the interview, Macron said he was prepared to again debate with the RN’s leading figure Marine Le Pen, against whom he ran in the second round of the last two presidential elections.

“Of course! I’m ready to wear our colours and defend our project,” he told the magazine.

Macron scoffed at a question about whether he was “crazy” to dissolve parliament and call for elections at such short notice.

“I am thinking only of France. It was the right decision, in the interest of the country,” he said.

“And I say to the French: ‘Don’t be scared, go and vote’.”

After losing his majority in parliament following his re-election for a second term in 2022, the president told Figaro Magazine he would be prepared to “hold out a hand to all those who are ready to come and govern,” without providing more details.

Macron called for the snap elections after his centrist alliance was crushed by the far right in the European Parliament elections on Sunday.

Polls did predict the defeat, and again shows RN leading in the upcoming legislative vote.

“I have never believed in polls,” Macron said.

“A new campaign is beginning and we must not look at the scores by constituency in terms of those of the European elections.”

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