Stop Le Pen as a Member of Parliament
France’s former President Hollande is running in new election
15.06.2024, 19:57
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He has already been President of France, but François Hollande is running again in the upcoming elections: as a member of parliament. What looks like a step backwards is urgently necessary. In view of the strong right, an “extraordinary decision” is necessary, says Holland.
Former French President François Hollande has surprisingly announced his candidacy in the upcoming parliamentary elections in France. Hollande said in Tulle in his home region of Corrèze in central France that he had made this decision because “the situation is serious” – “more than it has ever been”. The danger from the extreme right is there. “Since the liberation (from the Nazis), the extreme right has never been so close to power.” The socialist added: “In an extraordinary situation, an extraordinary decision.”
Hollande admitted that it was very unusual for a former president to stand for election as a member of parliament in a constituency. The 69-year-old was a member of parliament for Corrèze from 1988 to 1993 and from 1997 to 2012. He was president of France from 2012 to 2017.
Hollande supports the merger of left-wing parties that want to stop the right-wing populist Rassemblement National (RN). When asked whether he also wanted to become prime minister, Hollande replied that it was not about his personal advancement: “I was President of the Republic, I am not striving for anything for myself personally.” He called on the French to stop the right-wing populists in the second round of voting.
Hundreds of thousands demonstrate against Le Pen
Hundreds of thousands of French people who took to the streets in nationwide demonstrations apparently shared Hollande’s view. According to police figures, around 250,000 people took part in the rallies in numerous cities across the country. The organizers even spoke of around 640,000 demonstrators. According to police figures, 75,000 demonstrators gathered in Paris alone. The organizers spoke of 250,000 participants in the capital. According to the CGT union, there were 182 events across France.
Many of the participants waved the French flag, some carried banners such as “You don’t have to vote for the RN to love France” in reference to the rise of Marine Le Pen’s right-wing nationalist Rassemblement National (RN) party.
The right-wing nationalist party Rassemblement National (RN) collected around 31.5 percent of the votes in the European elections about a week ago. In response, French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved parliament and called for new elections to the National Assembly at short notice. These will take place in two rounds on June 30 and July 7.
According to polls, the RN could achieve a similar result in the parliamentary elections as it did in the European elections. This would make the party the strongest force in parliament and could possibly even provide the prime minister.