Emmanuel Macron is reportedly considering dissolving parliament and calling snap elections as early as this autumn in a move he hopes will boost his popularity. The French president floated the idea with his inner circle, according to people familiar with the exchanges who spoke to Bloomberg. They stressed that no decision has been made as yet, but one option is to wait until 2026 to dissolve parliament and hold legislative elections at the same time as a municipal vote.
However, this has been criticised as a bad idea as it may create political instability and give the far-right National Rally a chance to gain momentum. In December, Mr Macron said he would not call a snap election before his term ends in 2027, and a person close to him told the outlet that this had not changed.
The Renaissance Party founder sparked political turmoil following his poor performance in last July’s election, which saw his coalition lose a third of its seats and left the National Assembly without a majority party.
Mr Macron’s allies have expressed concerns that a snap election in the coming months could divide the National Assembly even further.
Now, National Rally is the largest party in parliament, and so any snap elections could give it the chance to take control of the government.
Despite this, Mr Macron’s approval ratings are on the up after they tanked to a record low. In March, his popularity rose by 7% to 31% in February, according to a poll by Ifop for Ouest-France.
His recent popularity gains are believed to be down to his presence on the world stage since Donald Trump returned to office and disrupted politics in Europe.
This comes after it was reported that Mr Macron would be offered a state visit to the UK in an apparent blow to Mr Trump, who has not yet taken part in his second visit.
The French president could meet with King Charles and Queen Camilla at the end of May, and while he has met them before, this would be his first state visit.
The Princess of Wales will also attend, according to The Times, as she returns to public life after cancer treatment.
There is currently no more information on the details and timing of the visit, and only a few Government and royal officials know who has been invited.
Mr Trump had a state visit during his first term in office, but it is not customary for a second to occur. Instead, tea or lunch with King Charles at Windsor Castle is normally more likely.
