Macron in meltdown as Le Pen savages Europhile President after election disaster (2024)

3 days ago14:27 Alice Scarsi

3 days ago14:06 Alice Scarsi

Yael Braun-Pivet, the President of the dissolved French Parliament, said "Macronism" has been defeated.

Hitting out at centrists politicians who are refusing to back the hard left to oppose to the rise to power of Marine Le Pen's party, Ms Braun-Pivet said: "To spend ones’s time debating about LFI is not the issue. What I know is that the main danger today is to have a far-Right prime minister in eight days.

"I am flabbergasted. They (those who refuse to block the RN by all means) have chosen dishonour and defeat because Macronism is finished: the results clearly show this."

Yael Braun-Pivet said 'Macronism is finished' (Image: GETTY)

3 days ago13:24 Alice Scarsi

The Kremlin is keeping a close eye on the French election, as a shift in French politics could potentially weaken the country's support for Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday during his daily press briefing that the June 30 vote reflected a Europe-wide trend.

He said: "We are following the course of these elections very closely, and the trends that have previously emerged in a number of European countries, including France, are being confirmed.

"We will wait for the second round, although the preferences of French voters are more or less clear to us."

3 days ago12:52 Alice Scarsi

Donald Tusk, the pro-EU Prime Minister of Poland, warned about the rise of the far-right across the continent.

Writing on X hours after the result of the first round of the French elections, Mr Tusk didn't openly mention the National Rally.

He said: "They love Putin, money and power without control. And they are already in power or are reaching for it in the East or West of Europe.

"They are joining ranks in the European Parliament. In Poland, we reversed this fatal tide at the very last moment. Let’s not waste it."

While Marine Le Pen previously declared her admiration for Vladimir Putin, National Rally President Jordan Bardella said he doesn't intend to "call into question the commitments made by France" on Ukraine.

However, the party has never voted in favour of resolutions in support of the war-torn country or condemning Russia's aggression, according to political science expertNicolas Tenzer.

Donald Tusk is Poland's Prime Minister (Image: GETTY)

3 days ago11:59 Alice Scarsi

Marine Tondelier, national secretary of Europe Ecology – The Greens, challenged National Rally President Jordan Bardella to a debate after he said on X he was ready to debate the leader of far-left France Unbowed, Jean-Luc Melenchon.

She wrote on X: Mr Bardella, We divided the debates within the New Popular Fron.

After Manuel Bompard and Olivier Faure, it's my turn to represent our coalition in the third debate. Am I to understand that you do not dare to argue with me?"

3 days ago11:23 Alice Scarsi

Raphaël Glucksmann, a French MEP part of the S&D alliance, called the upcoming second round of vote a "referendum".

The MEP issued a plea to the worst-performing candidate to pull out of the race and create an anti-hard right coalition in order to avoid a "catastrophe".

He said: "History is looking at us and judging us tonight, and each one of us must take responsibility. This is no longer just a legislative election: it’s a referendum.

"Do we – yes or no – want the far right to take power at the ballot box for the first time? That is the only question that matters. All political identities – left and right – melt away in the face of that dizzying question.

"Are we ready to hand over our country – the country of Victor Hugo, of Voltaire, of Rabelais – to the Le Pen family?

"That’s the only question that matters. It’s become a referendum and that’s why we’re asking all the third-place candidates to withdraw immediately, and why we’re asking people to vote, unambiguously and unhesitatingly, for democratic republicans whether they be on the left or the right, in order to stop the National Rally. We have seven days to avoid a catastrophe the likes of which France has never known in its history."

Raphaël Glucksmann is a French MEP (Image: GETTY)

3 days ago10:43 Alice Scarsi

The French CAC 40 stock exchange opened on Monday morning on the rise, despite the country's president being weakened by the snap election he called last month.

Similarly, the euro rose half a percent against the dollar.

Investors appeared reassured by the fact that neither the far-right nor far-left groups were on track to gain an absolute majority.

Berenberg Bank Chief Economist Holger Schmieding said in a morning note to clients, as reported by Politico: "A hung parliament remains the most likely outcome."

3 days ago10:26 Alice Scarsi

French newspaper Le Monde clearly showcases the success achieved by the National Front in a map displaying how French citizens voted on June 30.

The areas in brown are those where the National Rally got the majority of votes, while the bright pink shows where the left-wing coalition New Popular Front garnered the most votes.

Yellow is represented by Emmanuel Macron's centrist alliance, and bright blue is right-wing Les Republicains.

3 days ago09:47 Alice Scarsi

Centrists are scrambling to mitigate the humiliation dealt to them in the first round of the election and to stave off the rise of Marine Le Pen's party.

Many have called for a cordon sanitaire - which would see the centrist or leftist candidates least likely to win bow out of the second round to boost the chances of the other candidate running against the National Rally.

However, Former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, an ally of Emmanuel Macron, warned voters should avoid choosing both the far-right National Rally (RN) and far-left France Unbowed (LFI) next Sunday.

He said in a televised speech: "No vote should be given to the candidates of the RN, but also those of LFI, with whom we differ, not only on programs but on fundamental values.

"Consistent with this position, I will propose to the Horizons candidates who came third and who could, by their presence in the second round, without hope of victory, favor the election of a candidate from the extremes, to withdraw in favor of candidates from parties with which we share the same democratic and republican demands of our country.

"I call on people to vote for those who, from the social democratic left to the conservative right, have in common the attachment to freedom, to respect for the rule of law, to the conviction that the EU is a party of the solution, respecting the planet."

Edouard Philippe urged voters against choosing far-hard and far-left candidates (Image: GETTY)

3 days ago09:11 Alice Scarsi

The Spanish socialist Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, linked the rise of the far-right in France to what has been happening across Europe over the past few years.

In an interview with the Cadena Ser radio network, he said on Monday morning: "The advance of the far right in France isn’t unconnected with what’s happening in other parts of the world – including in Spain – where we’re seeing how, directly or indirectly … the far right is advancing institutionally and in the opinion polls."

However, Mr Sanchez noted he recently managed to form a new government thanks to a left-wing alliance, hinting the advance of the far-right isn't inevitable.

He said: "I don’t take the victory of the French far-right as a given. I think everything will depend on the socialist party, on its strength and on the unity of the left."

3 days ago08:53 Alice Scarsi

Emmanuel Macron's major political gamble has failed as his party came in third place following the first round of vote, according to a commentator.

Emmanuel Rivière, a political and polling expert, noted the centrist coalition has received fewer votes than both the far-right and far-left camps.

He told Euronews: "His party obtaining the third place in an election he provoked is a major defeat."

3 days ago08:30 Alice Scarsi

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of hard-left France Unbowed party currently part of the New Popular Front coalition, is already looking ahead at the July 7 vote.

Pledging to try and keep the far-right out of power, he said: "Nowhere will we allow the National Rally to win. This is why, in the cases where we come third, we will pull out of the race."

3 days ago08:13 Alice Scarsi

Christopher Weissberg, who represented French nationals living in North America in the French parliament before it was dissolved by Emmanuel Macron last month, told the BBC World Service's Newshour programme the president's decision to call for a snap election left him "flabbergasted".

He said: "It was a political mistake. [Emmanuel Macron] tried to clarify positions of different parties, but in a way that was so difficult for any clear majority to win that it gave a real advantage to the far right."

Parties on the centre and left should now focus on avoiding the National Rally achieving a majority at the second round of vote, he added.

Mr Weissberg said: "We need to build up together a coalition to avoid the tragedy of the far right in power for the first time in France since the Second World War."

Christopher Weissberg slammed the snap election as a 'political mistake' (Image: GETTY)

3 days ago08:05 Alice Scarsi

Thousands of people protesting the rise of the far-right in France gathered in Place de la Republique in Paris on Sunday night.

Here are a few pictures from the protest.

A handful of protesters clashed with police (Image: GETTY)

Thousands of people gathered in Paris to protest the surge of the RN (Image: GETTY)

3 days ago08:01 Alice Scarsi

Jordan Bardella, the 28-year-old politician who took over the role of president of the National Rally from Marine le Pen in 2022, said he was ready to become the new French Prime Minister - if his party achieved an "absolute majority" next week.

Speaking in the immediate aftermath of the first round of vote, he said he would be "uncompromising about the policies we will implement".

He added: "The French people have handed down a clear verdict."

3 days ago07:51 Alice Scarsi

The victory at the first round achieved by Marine Le Pen's party has been celebrated by far-right personalities across Europe.

Italian deputy prime minister and leader of far-right Lega Matteo Salvini lashed out at Emmanuel Macron and European Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen on social media, writing on X: "Shameful Macron who, by calling for ‘blocs’ against the National Rally in the second round, behaves like any other Von der Leyen and tries in every way to oppose a change expressed by millions of French people, in Paris and in Brussels."

André Ventura, leader of Portugal’s Chega party, called the National Rally's results "a great victory", adding: "Europe is waking up! Soon, it will be Portugal!"

And the head of the Spanish party Vox branded the results a "victory of hope, freedom and security for the French people".

3 days ago07:31 Alice Scarsi