President Macron's decision to call early parliamentary elections in response to his crushing defeat in a European Union vote is a risky gamble that few could have predicted, observers tell Al Jazeera, as they describe the snap polls as a referendum on the far right.
Voting for the National Rally and its firebrand leader Marine Le Pen has traditionally been a way to show dissatisfaction with the government. Now Macron is telling voters, 'We're playing for real,' Ivaldi told Al Jazeera.
Macron wants voters to think twice before casting a ballot for the National Rally when the far right has a real shot at power. He is hoping the fear of the far right will produce some important changes, including rallying moderate parties to a new majority, he said.
The move, unseen in French politics since 1997, has the potential to backfire. The National Rally not only tapped into discontent with Macron's government but also built...
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