French President Emmanuel Macron faced opposition from both the left and right after he called for a snap parliamentary election following a defeat against the far right in a European poll.
His office postponed a significant press conference scheduled for Tuesday afternoon until Wednesday, emphasizing that the upcoming nationwide vote would present the French people with a choice between “Republican forces on one side and extremist forces on the other”.
The upcoming ballot has sparked concerns throughout Europe because it could potentially weaken France, a country historically crucial for brokering compromise in Brussels and supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression.
Left-wing parties, despite internal differences, quickly joined forces to create a wide-ranging electoral alliance, pledging to nominate candidates together.
Meanwhile, reports were indicating that the previously dominant mainstream conservative Republican party might ally with the far-right National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, who has challenged Macron for the presidency twice.
With just 19 days left until the June 30 first round, making it the shortest campaign since the inception of France’s Fifth Republic in 1958, Macron confronts a formidable task in solidifying support for his centrist platform, according to polling data.