French President Emmanuel Macron called for a snap general election after the National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, overwhelmingly defeated his party in the EU parliamentary vote.
Marine Le Pen, the current leader of the National Rally’s faction in the French parliament, has stated that she will not seek the immediate removal of President Macron from office if her party prevails in the upcoming general election.
The French president called for a snap election following his party’s crushing defeat to the National Rally in the European parliamentary elections earlier this month.
Le Pen, who has contested the presidential election three times in the past, has been a vocal critic of Macron’s immigration and social policies, as well as his support for Ukraine.
In an interview with Le Figaro Magazine published on Sunday, Le Pen was asked if her party would demand the president’s resignation if the National Rally emerges victorious in the upcoming election. The seasoned politician responded that she would not.
“I respect institutions, I am not calling for institutional chaos. There will simply be cohabitation,” she said.
Despite this, Le Pen maintained that Macron has left France “in ruins,” with public services in disarray and immigration spiraling out of control. She went on to assert that while the political system established in France by General Charles de Gaulle remains intact, Macron has “created the conditions for a complete blockage of the democratic functioning of our country.”
The National Rally, on the other hand, embodies “order and tranquility,” Le Pen insisted, adding that she envisions her role as “president of the majority group of a cohabitation government.”
Le Pen emphasized that “competent individuals of good will, regardless of their political affiliation” would be welcome to join her government. She claimed that several “high-ranking officials and diplomats” have expressed their willingness to work with the right-wing party.
Addressing supporters earlier this month, Le Pen stated that the party is prepared to “exercise power if the French people place their trust in us in these upcoming legislative elections.” Current National Rally leader Jordan Bardella echoed this sentiment, arguing that the people have expressed a “desire for change.”
These comments came shortly after Macron announced his decision to dissolve the National Assembly and call for a snap general election. He cited “the historic score of the far-right” and the current “parliamentarian disorder” as the reasons for his decision.