Emmanuel Macron 'could resign' after second round of disastrous French election that has seen the hard-right surge as allies warn 'unstable' president might step down entirely if he doesn't get a majority - paving the way for Marine Le Pen to take power
July 7, 20241/2
(Napoleon is being dethroned by his own Petard)
President Emmanuel Macron 'could resign' after the second round of disastrous French election, his top aides have warned.
Voting has begun in mainland France today in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision or produce a hung parliament and political deadlock.
Macron took a huge gamble in dissolving parliament and calling for the elections after his centrists were trounced in European elections on June 9.
The snap elections in this nuclear-armed nation will influence the war in Ukraine, global diplomacy and Europe's economic stability, and are almost certain to undercut Macron for the remaining three years of his presidency.
Branding Macron as 'unpredictable' and 'unstable', one of his former top advisers has now claimed the President may resign after the election, telling The Telegraph: 'I know the man – this is not science fiction.'
Macron, two weeks ago, penned a letter to the French public vowing that 'you can trust me to act as your president until May 2027'.
But now as he faces the final three years of his presidency with no clear majority, insiders, citing apparent erratic behaviour, suspect he may not fulfill the term.=
'One day, [Macron] can make you a promise straight to your face, and the next day do the complete opposite. Completely the opposite,' one cabinet member told Le Parisien. 'So when he says: I'll never leave, I have my doubts.'
Another warned that Macron is 'capable of anything', citing how the President dissolved Parliament after 'he swore to us that he would not draw any national conclusions from the European elections.'
It is alleged thatMacron privately applauded 'throwing an unpinned grenade' at France's political establishment after the dissolution.
'I don't know what's going on in his head. He's become elusive,' echoed another MP.
One senior cabinet member even questioned if Macron has 'lost touch with reality' after he popped champagne last weekend to celebrate a friend's birthday, despite the 'humiliating' results of the first round of the election.
'Our MPs are being wiped off the legislative map and he's taking a moment to toast with his mates. What's the next step?' the insider asked. 'He resigns, Le Pen is elected president, and a big ball is organised in the Elysée party room to celebrate his departure?'
Le Pen has called for Macron to step down if his party suffers a major defeat in the election, arguing 'the only way out of a potential political crisis is for the president to resign'.
The first round on June 30 saw the largest gains ever for the anti-immigration, nationalist National Rally (NR), led by Le Pen.
Over 49million people are registered to vote in the elections, which will determine which party controls the 577-member National Assembly, France's influential lower house of parliament, and who will be prime minister.
If support is further eroded forMacron's weak centrist majority, he will be forced to share power with parties opposed to most of his pro-business, pro-European Union policies.…
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13608933/Emmanuel-Macron-resign-French-election-Marine-Le-Pen.html