French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that he does not seek to dissolve the National Assembly again, but does not rule out such a possibility if the opposition obstructs the work of parliament.
“I would prefer that there be no new dissolution. But it is not my habit to deprive myself of my constitutional powers. Because if political parties behave irresponsibly and decide to block the work, I may find myself in a situation where I have to resort to the Constitution,” the French leader emphasised at a press conference on the sidelines of the UN Ocean Conference in Nice.
The French president has the right to dissolve the National Assembly (the lower house of parliament) no more than once a year in accordance with Article 12 of the Constitution.
In the summer of 2024, Macron announced the dissolution of the National Assembly and snap parliamentary elections.
The decision was made after the preliminary results of the European Parliament elections were announced, in which the Besoin d’Europe coalition, which includes Macron’s Renaissance party, lost to the National Rally. The president called the dissolution of the lower house of parliament a serious step taken against the backdrop of a changing political landscape. According to the election results, no political force won a majority of votes, resulting in four changes of government in France in 2024.
