Macron under fire over France ‘civil war’ warning
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Opponents urged French President Emmanuel Macron not to scare the public.
PHOTO: AFP
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PARIS - French President Emmanuel Macron came under strong criticism on June 25 for warning a far-right or hard-left win in snap polls could spark a “civil war”
France is preparing to vote on June 30 in the country’s most polarising ballot in decades.
Mr Macron called the parliamentary polls
The election is shaping up as a showdown between the far-right RN and the left-wing New Popular Front, which is dominated by the hard-left France Unbowed.
Mr Macron warned on June 24 that the programmes of the two “extremes” could spark a “civil war”, accusing both the RN and France Unbowed of sowing tensions and dividing people.
Leaders of both left and right condemned his remarks.
Mr Eric Ciotti, the leader of the conservative Republicans (LR) who sparked outrage among allies by personally agreeing to an election pact with the RN, accused the French President of being irresponsible.
“This is a strategy of fear,” he said, speaking on BFMTV-RMC.
RN heavyweight Marine Le Pen said Mr Macron’s argument was “weak” and showed “he thinks he’s lost this election”.
Mr Patrick Kanner, head of the Socialists in the Senate, said Mr Macron’s remarks showed he was fighting for his political survival.
“We are faced with someone who no longer controls anything,” he said.
Mr Jean-Luc Melenchon, the head of France Unbowed, also criticised Mr Macron, saying on the night of June 24: “He’s always there to set things on fire.”
The three main camps – left, far right and centre – are set for a key TV debate on the evening of June 25. It will pit Prime Minister Gabriel Attal of Mr Macron’s centrist Renaissance party against RN party leader Jordan Bardella and Mr Manuel Bompard of the left-wing New Popular Front.
Some polls have suggested the RN could win 35-36 per cent in the first-round vote on June 30, ahead of the left-wing alliance on 27-29.5 per cent and Mr Macron’s centrists coming third on 19.5-22 per cent.
A second round of voting will follow on July 7 in constituencies where no candidate takes more than 50 per cent in the first round. AFP
