French President Emmanuel Macron said he addressed political divisions through his resolution to hold early parliamentary elections this summer, saying the resolution had created “more instability than peace. “
“I will have to acknowledge tonight that the dissolution, for the moment, has brought more divisions to the Assembly than answers for the French,” he said in his annual New Year’s address. “I fully acknowledge that. “
The speech, Macron’s eighth as president, ends a year in which his political influence was weakened especially with the June dissolution, which gave more strength to the far-right National Rally and divided the French Parliament into three blocs.
After a disappointing performance for his centrist candidates in European elections at the beginning of June, Macron surprised France by dissolving parliament, saying the country needed a “moment of clarification” to address the rise of the RN in European elections.
But the resulting election produced a decisive rejection of his centrist, pro-business calendar and turned the RN into France’s largest in a fractured parliament.
Macron appointed conservative politician and former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier as prime minister in September. However, Barnier was toppled in a no-confidence motion in December after being unable to rally support from the left and far right for a budget designed to cut France’s deficit, which has ballooned to more than 6 per cent in 2024.
Macron has since appointed his ally François Bayrou as prime minister. Calling for politicians to compromise in 2025, he suggested that he might also ask French voters to cast ballots again in the year ahead.
“I will also ask you to decide on some key issues, because each of you will have a role to play,” he said in comments that several commentators said suggested potential referendums in 2025.
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Macron spoke about the demanding situations of France’s foreign policy next year.
Following the re-election of Donald Trump as US president, who called for an building up in defence spending through NATO allies, Macron said: “Europe can no longer delegate its safety and defence to other powers”, reiterating his calls for more European defence spending.
He also urged Europe to “simplify its rules” to encourage more investment from business.
But the speech is unlikely to replace Macron’s belief among voters. His popularity has fallen to an all-time low this year, with only 21% of people confident in his ability to tackle France’s problems in a vote conducted through Elabe in December.
Her far-right rival, Marine Le Pen, said in her own New Year’s message on Tuesday that “belated regrets or superficial pleas from a definitively discredited head of state will take the place of anything. “
Although she did not blatantly call on Macron to hold early presidential elections before the next elections scheduled for 2027, Le Pen said 2025 will be a “decisive year” and added that France could resolve its disorders through a “democratic decision. “