Green Party leader Lang: Macron miscalculated with new election
The parliamentary elections in France are threatening to be a debacle for the governing party. New elections may not always be the wrong solution, but one should not act impulsively, said Greens leader Lang, taking responsibility for Macron.
Macron's plan to call for new elections, as announced by French President Emmanuel Macron, did not take off according to Greens leader Ricarda Lang. "Macron miscalculated with his decision to hold new elections, and now it seems rather to have strengthened the far-right," Lang told the news magazine "Politico" regarding the clear victory of France's right-wing populists in the first round of the advanced elections.
"I believe that hasty decisions do not get us very far," Lang continued and drew parallels to Germany. One must act with prudence and "in politics, always consider the next step, especially for our role in Germany," emphasized the Green politician.
New elections may not always be the wrong solution, but one should not act impulsively, she said. "This also applies to the three partners within the traffic light coalition, who carry a great responsibility in a time when many European countries are becoming more unstable." After the poor showing of the traffic light parties in the European election, there were also calls for new elections in Germany.
"Little consideration for political problems in other countries"
According to initial calculations, the right-wing populist party Rassemblement National (RN) is expected to receive approximately 34 percent in the first round of the French elections. The left-green alliance New People's Front received approximately 28 percent, while Macron's government coalition came in third place with approximately 21 percent.
SPD foreign policy politician Michael Roth sees co-responsibility of the German government for the strong performance of the RN. "We have asked ourselves too little about how we can better support the pro-European, liberal President Macron," said the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee to "Politico". "We take too little account of political debates and problems in other countries."
The alternative to Macron is "not another Sarkozy, but a strict right-wing nationalist like Marine Le Pen," warned Roth. Should she take power, it would have dramatic consequences for Germany, he added. "France is the heart of united Europe. If this heart no longer beats powerfully, the EU could suffer a stroke."
Emmanuel Macron's proposal for new elections in France seems to have benefited the far-right party Rassemblement National, as indicated by Greens leader Ricarda Lang. This may lead to a strong performance of the RN in the French elections, with initial calculations predicting around 34% for the right-wing populist party.
