Macron calls for ‘solid majority’ in 2nd round of legislative elections

Paris, Jun 14 (EFE).- French president Emmanuel Macron Tuesday called for voters to give his coalition a “solid majority” in this week’s second round of legislative elections, in which his party risks losing control of the National Assembly.

“We need a solid majority,” Macron said in a statement from the airport ahead of a trip to Romania and Moldova set to discuss the war in Ukraine.

He said that France needed a parliamentary majority to ensure “order” amid uncertainty in Europe led by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and rising prices.

“Nothing would be worse than to add French disorder to international disorder,” the president said.

Macron warned that if his party were to lose the majority in the National Assembly, France would lose itself in “immobilism, blockage and imposture.”

In the first round of legislative elections last Sunday, Macron’s Ensemble! (Together!) secured a very narrow victory against Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s left-wing Nupes alliance.

While Ensemble! is expected to win more seats in parliament over Nupes in Sunday’s second round of elections, it risks losing its current absolute majority in the National Assembly.

“It is the time for decisions, and big decisions are never made with abstention,” Macron said.

Last Sunday, voter turnout hit a record low in France at just 47.51%.

“Next Sunday, no vote should be missing for the Republic,” he urged.

rcf/mp/jt