Macron Believes Snap Parliamentary Elections Have Created More Problems Than They Solved

January 2, 2025 TruthUSA

French President Emmanuel Macron admitted his mistake after causing a stir by calling for early elections in the middle of the year.

Macron acknowledged that his decision to hold early parliamentary elections in June 2024 had created more chaos than stability.

Last year, in June, Macron dissolved the French National Assembly and called for snap elections following gains made by the right-wing National Rally party in the EU parliamentary elections.

However, the gamble backfired as voters resulted in a hung parliament, leaving Macron pulled in different directions since then.

‘Moment of Clarification’

In a televised speech before New Year’s celebrations, Macron stated: “I have to acknowledge tonight that the dissolution has, at this point, caused more divisions in the Assembly than solutions for the French people.

“I fully admit that.”

He defended his decision by stating that the country needed a “moment of clarification” to address the rise of the National Rally in European elections.

Macron has found himself caught between a left-wing coalition, including his own party Renaissance, La France Insoumise, the Socialist Party, the Ecologists, and the French Communist Party, and the National Rally.

On Dec. 5, French lawmakers from all political spectrums voted to remove Macron’s choice for prime minister, Michel Barnier, in a vote of no confidence.

Francois Bayrou, a centrist politician, was announced as his replacement but will have to navigate the uncertainties in the heavily divided parliament, hindering the passing of the 2025 budget.

The country’s debt is expected to surpass 3 trillion euros ($3.17 trillion) by 2025, with public debt around 110 percent of GDP.

Macron also criticized the EU for being naïve in international trade, particularly as threats of tariffs by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump loom.

“We must reject trade rules imposed by others and on which we are the only ones complying, refuse dependency on others without preparation for the future,” he said.

High Distrust

According to a December poll by Elabe, a French market research institute, confidence in the president is at its lowest level.

The poll revealed that only 21 percent of French citizens surveyed by Elabe for Les Echos newspaper had faith in the president to effectively address the country’s challenges for the second consecutive month. This marked the lowest level since Macron’s election in 2017.

Distrust remains high, with 72 percent of respondents expressing their lack of trust in Macron.

Macron has pledged to remain in office until mid-2027, as he cannot be ousted by Parliament before then. However, opposition from both left and right wings have called for his resignation.

In her New Year’s message on Tuesday on X, Marine Le Pen declared that nothing would change despite Macron’s belated apologies or expressions of concern.

President of the La France Insoumise group, Mathilde Panot, stated on X: “2025 will be a great year.

“The year when we will succeed in getting rid of this arrogant and authoritarian President.”

EU’s 2 Largest Economies

Frank Furedi, executive director of MCC Brussels, previously told The Epoch Times that France’s highly polarized political landscape could escalate the country’s divisions.

He also pointed out that with France and Germany—being the EU’s top two economies—facing significant political challenges and operating on borrowed funds, the weaknesses of the EU were becoming more apparent.

Germany’s ruling coalition collapsed in November 2024, leading to snap elections set for Feb. 23. Energy crises, political instability, and declining competitiveness pose a threat to Germany’s long-standing status as the major industrial power of the EU.

“This highlights the internal vulnerabilities of this project as the EU and its goals may appear stronger than they actually are,” stated Furedi.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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