Emmanuel Macron has been warned by former French President Nicolas Sarkozy that his decision to call early elections could throw France into chaos as his centrist party is third in opinion polls, far behind the far-right National Assembly.
Sarkozy said the dissolution of the National Assembly was a "big risk" for France, "because it could plunge it into chaos from which it will have the greatest difficulty to get out," the Guardian reported.
"Giving the French people a say" to justify dissolution is a curious argument, as that is exactly what more than 25 million French people did at the polls, Sarkozy said, referring to Macron's decision after the June 9 European elections, when the right inflicted a crushing defeat on the president's party.
"The risk is high that they will confirm their anger rather than reverse it," said Sarkozy, France's center-right president from 2007-12, who is said to be on good terms with Macron.
The French will vote for a new national assembly in two rounds, on June 30 and July 7.
An opinion poll conducted by Ifop showed the National Assembly far ahead with a 35% share of the vote, the New Popular Front alliance of left-wing parties with 26% and Macron's Renaissance with 19%. According to the newspaper, only 61% of people who voted for Macron in the first round of the 2022 presidential election plan to support his party on June 30. | BGNES
