European Parliament elections: The rise of the far-right and snap elections in France

Yesterday, June 9, 27 EU member states elected 720 members of the European Parliament. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the dissolution of the National Assembly in a decision that surprised many, following the success of the far-right in yesterday's European Parliament elections. Macron announced this decision after the defeat suffered by his ruling alliance in the European Parliament elections, where they finished in second place, far behind Marine Le Pen's party. Parliamentary elections will be held in France on June 30 for the first round and July 7 for the second round.

HOW SHOULD WE UNDERSTAND THIS DECISION BY MACRON?

Commenting on the results of the polls, he said, "It is not a good result for the parties that defend Europe." The Renew Europe alliance led by Macron fell from 102 seats to win only 83. Exit polls in France show that the far-right Rassemblement National (National Rally) party finished in first place with 31.5 percent of the vote. The party's leader, Marine Le Pen, declared on Sunday that France's far-right is poised and "ready to take power" following French President Emmanuel Macron's call for snap parliamentary elections.

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN FRANCE AND WHY IS MACRON NO LONGER POPULAR?

When Emmanuel Macron became the president of France in 2017, he wanted to rule like Jupiter (equivalent to Zeus, one of the most powerful of the gods), but the multitude of France's problems opened his eyes. Recent public opinion polls show a sharp decline in his popularity and credibility, reaching the lowest level in the last three years. The issue that contributed most to this decline was pension reform (retirement at 64 instead of 62). His popularity was previously this low during the "Yellow Vests" protests. Recently, Macron is increasingly referred to as the "President of the Rich," perceived as the best ally of France's wealthy. The violence used by the French police during the protests in France fueled anti-Macron sentiment to such an extent that 77 percent of people now say they find the president "authoritarian." They accuse him of a lack of empathy. The French complain that Macron's policies mean more taxes, migration, and insecurity.

Criticism of Macron does not only come from France. At the foreign policy level, Macron is accused of inconsistency in his political statements. Following his visit to China, he stated that Europe should not be a "follower" of the US, expressing that the EU should not get involved in "crises that are not ours." He declared that the EU should not be involved in a potential conflict if a Taiwan crisis were to erupt between China and the US. He repeatedly claimed that the West should not try to "humiliate" Russia. Then, he made a statement suggesting that France could send French troops to fight in Ukraine. There was criticism regarding this from Eastern European countries as well. Not only in France but in all European countries, there has been a long-standing fatigue regarding the war in Ukraine. Many Europeans argue that this war does not belong to Europe, but to the US.

However, Macron's decision to dissolve Parliament is a risky step because Macron's party could suffer greater losses and give even more power to Marine Le Pen. In his speech, Macron opposes this by saying, "We are ready to get the country back on its feet, we are ready to defend the interests of the French people. The rise of nationalists and demagogues poses a threat not only to our nation but also to our Europe and to France's place in Europe and the world."

The results of the European Parliament elections show that the popularity of the far-right and European populists, who want Russia-Europe relations not to be sacrificed for Ukraine, is increasing, while the Greens and liberals are declining. At the same time, these results clearly show that the political structure in Europe is changing. We see that factors such as the war in Ukraine, rearmament, migration, climate change, post-Covid inflation, and anti-Israel protests are among the most important factors shaping this political structure.