Macron still thinks he can defeat Bardella

Far-right Wins Big In French Elections

LAST NIGHT'S EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTION: French President Emmanuel Macron has caught everyone by surprise by calling for a snap election. This move comes after his Renaissance party suffered a crushing defeat from the far-right National Rally. As a result, Jordan Bardella may soon become France's next prime minister. The election results are causing quite a stir, and there's a lot of information to take in.

Everyone was taken aback by what Macron had to say during his TV appearance following the announcement of France's results, especially his party members. Supporters were seen not considering the possibility of an immediate election right before the president's speech. Nicolas Camut of POLITICO states that when the plan was shared, the audience at the party's headquarters were shocked and responded with cries of "Oh no!"

In the coming weeks, French citizens will have the opportunity to participate in the election of a new national parliament through two rounds on June 30 and July 7. If the National Rally manages to secure the top spot in the said competition, it is possible for Bardella to become the youngest prime minister in France's history. Despite being only 28 years old, Bardella has proven himself to be a political prodigy, having taken over the National Rally less than two years ago.

More surprising than a made-up story: A lot of imaginative hypothetical situations about what could happen if Le Pen became president have been composed, even creating a popular comic book series. However, there is a significant difference between these make-believe scenarios and actuality. It is unlikely that anyone predicted that the far-right would join forces with a rival party's president to govern together.

A statement by Novo Nordisk: This week, the members of Team Novo Nordisk are participating in the Baloise Belgium Tour. It is noteworthy that these athletes are able to compete at the highest level in their field while dealing with type 1 diabetes. Thanks to advancements in technology, this has become possible. However, there is still a concerning number of individuals suffering from diabetes in Europe who are not receiving the care that they require. Therefore, Team Novo Nordisk aims to motivate a positive transformation.

Do we really need to mention that if the National Rally gained control of the French government, it would be a significant upheaval in the nation's political landscape? This event would also mark a significant milestone on the party's quest to become more widely accepted.

Surprised and shocked: Even the most dedicated supporters of the National Rally party were caught off guard by Macron's unexpected announcement. At their gathering for the election, attendees were expressing their disapproval of the president's speech when he suddenly called for the snap election. As soon as they heard the news, they erupted into cheers, applause, and began chanting "resign! resign!" according to Giorgi Leali, who was reporting from the party's event location in Bois de Vincennes, just outside of Paris.

The subject of this section is Brussels. The article talks about a speech given by a politician named Marine Le Pen. She warned the leaders of the EU institutions during her speech. She was accompanied by someone named Bardella. Marine Le Pen mentioned that this victory for patriotic political movements is important and it follows the direction of history. She also stated that this victory ends a difficult time caused by globalist beliefs that have caused suffering for many people across the world.

Let's do this: "We're prepared to demonstrate our influence," she stated. (Will it be Le Pen or Bardella? Surveys indicate that National Rally followers are inclining toward the younger alternative.)

What is the motivation behind Macron's actions? Before becoming president, Macron worked in investment banking, and he has a history of taking big risks in politics. In 2016, he gambled that a centrist candidate who was newer to politics could establish their own party and shake things up in France's mainstream center-right and center-left political parties. This move was a resounding success that exceeded everyone's expectations. Once again, Macron is taking a chance by challenging the National Rally party to demonstrate that they can govern effectively rather than simply expressing their views from the sidelines.

Taking part in the European Parliament election is not a crazy idea, although somewhat daring. In France, it is viewed as an opportunity for voters to express their dissatisfaction with the current leadership in a competition that is not too high-pressure. However, the people might have reservations about voting for a party that has never governed before, especially during the conflict in Ukraine and with the global situation becoming more unstable.

If Bardella succeeds in July, he would probably become the prime minister in a "cohabitation" with Macron. This is not a desirable position as it usually results in the government being unable to function. Additionally, prime ministers in France are vulnerable to criticism and often end up being replaced frequently. Macron has already gone through four different prime ministers, including Gabriel Attal.

If Bardella becomes the prime minister and works from Matignon, he might find it difficult to manage the civil service as they could be unfriendly towards him. The previous three years of poor governance could lead to one of Macron's supporters taking revenge in the year 2027. However, considering the constitution, the president cannot run for a third term.

Maxime, a 26-year-old supporter of Macron, told Nicolas that sometimes one needs to have courage. Maxime expressed fear about the rise of the far right, but believed that calling for the snap election was a bold decision. The success of this decision can only be determined on July 7.

According to some observers, Olivier Blanchard, an economist working at the Peterson Institute for International Economics based in Washington, expressed his opinion on Twitter stating that the National Rally's decision was a wise move. He believes that it is better to discredit the National Rally's program either during the campaign or shortly after winning. Additionally, he stated that this move would result in two bad years instead of five if the National Rally won the 2027 elections.

In a different perspective, political expert Simon Hix from the European University Institute expressed through a tweet that President Macron's decision to hold a sudden election is rather foolish and risky. Hix believes that Macron is hoping for all other political parties except the RN to form a "save the Republic" coalition, which is highly unlikely.

According to Mujtaba Rahman, who is the head of Eurasia Group, a firm that assesses risk, it seems that many people believe that Emmanuel Macron's victory will hinder Marine Le Pen's success. In fact, Rahman stated to Clea Caulcutt that he thinks Le Pen's performance in the legislative election will not be as good because it is a two-part election process and a distinct set of voters will be influenced to vote in this round.

The blog post discusses the defeat of Valérie Hayer, who was the lead candidate for Macron, in the Eurostar. Although her supporters feel that she was in a difficult situation as several male Renaissance officials declined offers to run Macron's campaign, she still lost the election. There is a perception among some people that she was set up for failure.

A Renew senior official shared with Elisa Braün that Hayer's political party arranged for her to take a Eurostar train to Brussels on Sunday evening to begin negotiations with Manfred Weber and other members of the European People's Party (EPP). However, Hayer did not show up to board the train.

It's doubtful that Macron's action will cause a delay in the competition for top jobs in the EU, as stated by my colleague, Eddy Wax. According to an EU official, the schedule for the crucial top jobs European Council meeting scheduled for the end of June will remain unchanged. He also mentioned that it will take place irrespective of Macron's demands. In his opinion, it wouldn't make sense for anyone else to use Macron's excuse of holding Europe on hold due to France's elections.

The European Parliament election is a massive event, with 27 countries providing reports. It can be overwhelming to analyze all the data. Luckily, Eddy and Elisa have done the work for us and identified 12 noteworthy outcomes, categorizing them as either positive or negative.

Last evening went smoothly for...

Can anyone halt Ursula von der Leyen's ascension? Following Sunday's vote, the European Commission leader could form a coalition with Socialists, liberals, and her own centrists. These three factions reportedly backed her during her current tenure and are expected to command around 407 votes in the EU Parliament. Although this surpasses the 361 votes required for her to retain her position, she could still face setbacks if any defections occur, so her triumph remains uncertain.

In this article, my co-workers Stuart Lau, Barbara Moens, Eddy and Elisa have written that von der Leyen is currently working hard to make a political agreement in order to guarantee another term as Commission president.

In free English: Manfred Weber, who is the leader of the EPP, has asked the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Macron to give their backing to von der Leyen for an additional term of five years. This request is important because the EPP party has won in many countries including Germany, Spain, Poland, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Croatia and Greece. Moreover, the center-right political party has been able to gain six more seats in the Netherlands which was more than what was anticipated.

Giorgia Meloni gained a significant triumph as the leader of Italy's extreme right-wing political party, the Brothers of Italy. This win places her among the few presidents of major EU nations, such as Poland's Donald Tusk, who claimed victory. This achievement was made possible as Giorgia's party saw a significant increase in its backing, eventually ending up with the highest number of votes.

The right-leaning political parties performed well during the recent elections across several countries. France's National Rally surprised everyone with their excellent showing, which challenged Macron's chances of victory. Similarly, far-right groups in Austria, the Netherlands, Germany, and Romania gained significant votes. Another notable entrant in the Parliament was Éric Zemmour's Reconquest from France, known for his controversial statements.

Socialist parties did not perform exceedingly well but managed to maintain their presence. They were ranked second in Spain and Italy and came in a close third in France. In fact, the center-left in France seems to have gained momentum under the leadership of Raphaël Glucksmann. The Socialists emerged victorious in Sweden and may have just managed to outperform the center-right in Portugal. However, the Socialist party's performance in Germany was disappointing as they ranked third under Scholz's leadership.

Peter Magyar was once an ally of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, but now they have become rivals. Magyar has become the clear leader of Hungary's opposition and gained around 30% of the total votes as soon as he entered the race earlier this year.

Roberta Metsola, who is from Malta and serves as the president of the European Parliament, helped her political party win an additional seat by receiving over 87,000 first-choice votes. In Malta's history as a member of the EU, no other MEP candidate has ever earned as many votes as Metsola did. Although the Labor party came out on top, they lost a seat in the process.

Among the group of individuals who have suffered a defeat or failure...

Emmanuel Macron, the leader of France, had a rough time when his political party came in second place, falling far behind the Socialists who were once not considered major contenders.

The Social Democrats led by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz faced a major defeat in the recent national election. The center-right Christian Democrats and the far-right Alternative for Germany overwhelmingly dominated the polls, leaving the SPD with an abysmal 14 percent of the vote, their worst performance in over a hundred years. The center-right faction is now urging Scholz to take a cue from French President Macron and call for an early election.

The leader of Hungarian nationalism, Viktor Orbán, had a worse outcome in the European Parliament election than anticipated. A new party called Magyar arose as a competitor, causing the ruling Fidesz to have their lowest result in history with only 43.8% of the votes, which was significantly lower than expected according to polls. For additional information, see Victor Jack's report on POLITICO. It's still uncertain whether Orbán will guide his MEPs into ECR, and this remains one of the major unanswered questions of the election.

The Green political party didn't fare well in the recent elections. They had a great year in 2019, but things took a turn for the worse as they lost around 20 seats. In Germany, they went from having 21 seats to only having 12. In France, they barely held on to their seats, and in Portugal, they didn't get any at all. This was a disappointing outcome for those who support the Green Deal. Despite this, Dutch MEP Bas Eickhout remains optimistic and hopes that the Greens can still play a role in coalition talks. However, it remains to be seen if von der Leyen is willing to engage with them.

Although von der Leyen did not explicitly state if she would initiate talks with the Greens, insiders suggest a contrasting situation. Two sources revealed that lead candidate Eickhout had a friendly conversation with her privately backstage and even exchanged hugs, indicating a positive rapport between the two. This raises the possibility of the Greens being able to join the coalition after all.

Matteo Salvini did not fare well in the recent European Parliament elections. His political party, the League, only received 8.6% of the vote and has 22 Members of European Parliament (MEPs) in the current parliament. This outcome signals bad news for Salvini and his party.

The national election in Belgium shook up the political landscape, with the Flemish liberal party led by Alexander De Croo seeing a sharp decline in support. The shift towards the right was not as extreme as some had predicted, but it was still enough for De Croo to step down as prime minister. While he will remain in a caretaker capacity until a new government is established, the far-right Vlaams Belang party garnered 21 percent of Flemish votes, falling short of its conservative rival, New Flemish Alliance, which claimed the majority of the vote at around 25 percent. For more information on the election results, Pieter Haeck and Camille Gijs have provided an in-depth analysis.

The latest news concerning Israel and Gaza reveals that Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, is heading back to the Middle East. The proposed cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas is currently at a crucial stage, according to the Associated Press. Hamas has yet to respond to the proposal that they received 10 days ago. In an effort to resolve the situation, Blinken will meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi in Cairo before embarking on visits to Israel, Jordan and Qatar.

In case you missed it, Benny Gantz, a moderate Israeli minister, stepped down from Benjamin Netanyahu's emergency government because he believes that the prime minister's approach is not helping them achieve true victory in Gaza. Even though this doesn't dissolve the coalition government immediately, it does mean that Netanyahu will have to rely more heavily on nationalists. The resignation came just after Israel successfully rescued four hostages taken during a Hamas-led attack on October 7. Unfortunately, the rescue operation resulted in 274 deaths according to Gaza's health authorities. Jake Sullivan, the White House's national security adviser, stated that the U.S. provided assistance for the rescue, but didn't give specific information about what help they lent.

The CEO of Germany's stock exchange, Theodor Weimer, made a public speech criticizing Olaf Scholz's government, warning that the country could become a "developing country." This speech has spread rapidly on the internet and angered the chancellor's supporters. The Social Democrats' Verena Hubertz referred to the speech as "bizarre" and more suitable for a casual setting like a beer tent rather than a formal event attended by a listed company executive.

There is a serious problem with hunger in Sudan due to an ongoing war that has resulted in the death of over 15,000 people and the displacement of millions. The situation is becoming even more severe and could soon lead to the most significant humanitarian crisis worldwide, as the leader of the World Food Programme has cautioned.

Don't miss out on the upcoming event! Kathryn Carlson, POLITICO's Financial Regulation Reporter, is hosting a panel discussion with four knowledgeable experts to discuss the Commission's CMU agenda, the significance of non-banks, and fresh legislation. Make sure to register to watch the live broadcast on June 19th!

Margrethe Vestager, the Executive Vice President of the Commission, is currently in Kajaani, Finland, for a visit to the LUMI Supercomputer Center and the DestinE exhibition. During her visit, she'll be accompanied by Arto Satonen, the Minister of Employment for Finland. Additionally, Vestager will meet with Ilkka Hämälä, the CEO of Metsä Group, and Niklas Von Weymarn, the CEO of Metsä Spring.

Valdis Dombrovskis, who is the Commission's Executive Vice President, is in Berlin, Germany at the moment. He is taking part in a conversation about Germany's policy regarding Ukraine.

Maroš Šefčovič, the Vice President of the Commission, is currently in Berlin, Germany. He will be delivering a speech at the Europe-Ukraine Energy Transition Hub event. During his visit, Maroš Šefčovič met with Anne-Laure de Chammard, who is part of the executive board of Siemens Energy group. He also paid a visit to the Siemens Energy and Air Liquide's gigawatt electrolyzer production facility.

Helena Dalli, who is the Equality Commissioner, has traveled to New York in the United States. While there, she has some important meetings scheduled. One of them is with José Viera, who is the director of the International Disability Alliance. This meeting will take place during the 17th Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Dalli will also meet with Alessandra Locatelli. Locatelli is the minister for disabilities in Italy. Additionally, Dalli is set to meet with a delegation from the U.N. Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Ylva Johansson, who is the Commissioner for Home Affairs, has arrived in Stockholm, Sweden. She is going to be the main speaker at an important event, the Promise Transnational Referral Mechanism Project's closing conference. This project helps children who have been victims of trafficking.

Janez Lenarčič, the Commissioner in charge of managing crises, met with Yehuda Shaul, who shares the position of OFEK's co-director. OFEK is a center focused on public affairs located in Israel.

Jutta Urpilainen, the Commissioner for International Partnerships, had a meeting with Gabrielius Landsbergis, who is the foreign affairs minister of Lithuania. This meeting took place in Vilnius, Lithuania.

The Innovation Commissioner, Iliana Ivanova, spoke on camera at several events. She gave a message during the start of the LOFAR European research facility, the opening ceremony of the Science and Technology Park in Montenegro, and the EURAXESS biannual conference.

The Climate Commissioner, Wopke Hoekstra, recently had several meetings while in Stockholm, Sweden. One of those meetings was with Magdalena Andersson, who used to be the Swedish Prime Minister and Finance Minister, at Riksdagen. Hoekstra also met with Anko van der Werff, the President and CEO of the Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) Group, in Solna. In addition, the Commissioner visited Tallbacka school in Solna and met with students. Lastly, Hoekstra went to the facilities of Skanska construction company.

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FORECAST: The temperature will reach a maximum of 13 degrees Celsius with precipitation.

Here's a suggestion: If you're looking for a new restaurant to try out, consider Chez Luma in Uccle. According to a review by POLITICO's Carlo Martuscelli, this restaurant puts a modern twist on traditional French bistro dishes and is definitely worth a visit. Carlo found that Chez Luma's owners have done an impressive job of creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere that still looks chic and stylish. To get all the details, check out Carlo's full review of Chez Luma.

The Flower Carpet event, which transforms the Grand Place into a huge flower exhibit, is coming back in August with a new look. After many years, the organizers decided to refresh the design. They chose the young street artist Océane Cornille to create this year's flower carpet. Instead of the usual begonias, dahlias will mostly be used.

Regional officials have given the green light for the renovation of a major Proximus office building located in the northern part of the city, converting it into a housing development with 272 apartment units and space for over 90 students' lodgings, as per the report by Brussels Times.

Tour operator Thibault Danthine has brought a new idea to the streets of the city center – electric carriages for tourists. This new mode of transportation will replace the traditional horse and cart rides that have been used for years. Danthine made the decision to end the horse and cart services two years ago due to difficulties in finding staff and complaints about the treatment of the horses. The new electric carriages, which will operate from the Grand Place, are expected to bring in 15,000 tourists each year. This is a first-of-its-kind service in Europe and is sure to attract visitors looking for a unique way to tour the city.

Happy birthday to a diverse group of individuals, including Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister Petra de Sutter, MEP Juan Fernando López Aguilar, and former MEPs Michał Boni and Filiz Hyusmenova. Also celebrating birthdays are POLITICO contributor Simon Marks, European Parliament's Neil Corlett, Elysée's Rhizlane Bouachra, Deputy Director of the Jacques Delors Centre in Berlin Nils Redeker, and ERCST's Chiara Cavallera. Additionally, it is Portugal Day.

A big shoutout goes to Clea Caulcutt, Giorgio Leali, Nicolas Camut, Elisa Braun, Eddy Wax, Jakob Hanke Vela, Playbook editor Alex Spence, reporter Ketrin Jochecová, and producer Dato Parulava. Thank you all for your contributions!

Novo Nordisk has conveyed a crucial message stating that over 60 million Europeans are affected by diabetes. Shockingly, one out of three people with the condition are unaware of it. Moreover, 35% of individuals showcase symptoms of complications during diagnosis. Even after diagnosis, almost 50% of diabetes patients struggle to manage their blood glucose levels, which puts them at tremendous risk of diabetes-related complications. This situation has a devastating impact on the lives of those affected. Thankfully, change is possible. As Europe embarks on a new journey, we urge policymakers to take necessary actions to enhance the quality of life for people living with diabetes. References.

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