France weighs future after far-right surge in EU vote

 As French political parties were racing on Monday to field candidates in a snap election, President Emmanuel Macron visited a site left abandoned after a massacre carried out by the Nazis during World War Two.

There, Macron and his German counterpart vowed to continue reconciliation efforts between France and Germany.

MACRON: "There is the courage of the generations who experienced it and there must be the same courage and the same determination of their grandchildren."

The engagement comes a day after European Parliament elections that saw gains by the far-right, and a shock decision by Macron to call a snap election.

It's a roll of the dice on his political future - and could offer the far right a shot at real power.

Macron's stature has been diminished since he lost his absolute majority in parliament two years ago.

Discussing the snap election call, a source close to Macron said there was a chance he could win back a majority by taking everyone by surprise.

But they added that if Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally – or RN – does take over, the gamble is that the next three years would demonstrate their incompetence to voters and undermine their bid for the presidency in 2027.

That option, the source said, is not without risk.

The vote is likely to revolve around discontent with Macron's style of power, cost of living and immigration policies.

But it will also be about whether the RN can be trusted to run a major European government.

Here's her vice-president, and the Mayor of Perpignan, Louis Aliot.

"Yes, I think we're ready. I really do. I think we're ready. And tomorrow, if the day after the 7th of July, there is a majority, either from the RN or in coalition with others, we will very quickly be able to get France moving again."

Among policies put forward by RN, the party has proposed high public spending despite already significant debt levels.

It also wants to expel more migrants, restrict childcare benefits to French citizens and give French nationals preference in access to social housing and jobs.

There is no certainty the RN will end up with enough seats to run the government.

Other scenarios include a wide-ranging coalition of mainstream parties.

But even if the RN did score a majority, Macron would remain president for three more years and still be in charge of defense and foreign policy.

He would, however, lose the power to set the domestic agenda.

Political parties in France don't have long to prepare: the election will take place in two rounds on June 30 and July 7.

The next government will take over in July.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/france-weighs-future-far-surge-203103179.html