BRUSSELS — French President Emmanuel Macron attacked his far-right opponents for behaving as if they’ve already won the upcoming snap election.
“How arrogant! All the debate today is as if they were already in office,” a visibly irritated Macron told reporters in the early hours of Friday morning as he left a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels.
Over the past days, National Rally has repeatedly questioned Macron’s powers in the event the far-right party wins the French parliamentary election and opens a so-called cohabitation period, when the president and the prime minister are from opposing political camps.
Earlier this week, National Rally President Jordan Bardella claimed the future French government (which he hopes to lead) should pick the candidate for the country’s European commissioner, rather than Macron. On Thursday, top National Rally figure Marine Le Pen said Macron would be confined to an “honorary” role when it comes to defense and commanding France’s armed forces.
“The French have not yet chosen. Who are they [National Rally] to explain how the constitution should work? Who are they? What political culture are we talking about? Come on! We have to respect the French,” a fired-up Macron said.
The French president also slammed “the disinhibited racism and antisemitism” of his opponents, while hinting the far-right camp was more dangerous than the left-wing one.
“I’m not making a general confusion with all the other political formations,” he said, when asked whether he was equating the far left and far right.
The French parliamentary election will happen in two rounds, the first this Sunday, followed by a second-round runoff on July 7 when voters will likely have to choose between the National Rally and the left-wing New Popular Front.
Macron declined to comment on who — the president or the prime minister — has the power to put forward a candidate for France’s EU commissioner.
“France will officially propose the name of a commissioner to the president of the Commission at the right moment,” he said. On Thursday, he had privately proposed a second term for France’s current commissioner, Thierry Breton.
Asked whether Breton would be his pick, he said: “It’s my wish and I think he has the experience and qualities for the job.”
Macron called a snap French parliamentary election after his party suffered heavy losses in the EU election earlier this month. “I never take decisions lightly … I thought about it very seriously, but very deeply,” he said.
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