Why, when and how: surprise French general election explained

CGTN Europe

French president Emmanuel Macron stunned his country by calling a snap general election on June 20 after his party was trounced in EU polls by the far right RN party. CGTN’s Ross Cullen reports.  #macron #lepen #politics #france #election #frenchelection #europeanelections

Transcript

00:00 On Sunday in the European Union's parliamentary elections, France's far-right National Rally Party

00:06 scored a huge victory, more than 30% of the vote, inflicting a crushing defeat on President Emmanuel Macron's

00:14 centrist Renaissance Party. It means that the nationalist populists will now be sending the greatest number of MEPs

00:21 from France to the EU parliaments in Brussels.

00:24 It's a real emotion to see this great popular force rise in the whole country.

00:31 Emmanuel Macron's plan was to call a snap general election, a sudden decision on Sunday night local time

00:38 that stunned the nation. A compressed election campaign now, just three weeks until the first round of voting

00:45 on the 30th of June. All 577 of France's MEPs will be on the ballot. If you get an absolute majority in the first round

00:53 you're elected as the MP. If nobody gets a majority in the first round it goes to a second round of voting on the 7th of July.

Category

Transcript

Recommended