France’s Macron dissolves parliament, calls snap elections after EU defeat

French President Emmanuel Macron announced he would dissolve the country’s parliament and called for fresh elections after his party Renaissance lost to the far-right National Rally (RN) in European parliamentary elections.

According to the exit poll, the National Rally party, led by Marine Le Pen, secured about 31.5% of the votes while Macron’s Renaissance received 15.2%. Notably, the Socialist Party also got around 14% of the votes.

Macron called his decision “serious” and expressed confidence in democracy, stating he would soon outline his vision for the nation. Macron’s party’s loss shows the French voters’ discontent with the country’s current situation.

The first round of elections is set for June 30, with a second round on July 7 to elect new lawmakers.