Pressure piling on Macron as anti-EU party gaining momentum
Pressure is piling on Emmanuel Macron as anti-EU party National Rally is gaining momentum.
PA
Pressure is piling on Emmanuel Macron as anti-EU party National Rally is gaining momentum, ahead of the European Parliament elections next year.
Discussions inside Macron's Renaissance party are heating up over who it will select as the lead candidate to take on the far-right party ahead of the vote.
There is concern in the EU that far-right parties will form a majority in the bloc, which could put Ursula Von der Leyen's leadership at risk.
Despite National Rally holding strong anti-European Union views, they typically perform well in the European parliament elections.
National Rally has selected MEP Jordan Bardella as its lead candidate for next year's elections
www.instagram.com/jordanbardella/
In 2019, the party won 23.3 percent of the vote - more than any other party.
Marine Le Pen, who was the party's previous presidential candidate, continues to hold popularity among the public.
A poll conducted by Viavoice published on Wednesday saw 37 per cent of respondents view Le Pen favourable.
Some 41 per cent said she has "the stature of a head of state".
While National Rally has dropped its plans for a "Frexit", it remains unhappy with France's place in the EU.
The group has selected MEP Jordan Bardella as its lead candidate for next year's elections.
Last weekend he told Le Figaro that he will gather the "partisans of power" to take down Macron and far-left chief Jean-Luc Mélenchon.
He branded the duo "forces of failure."
The EU has seen a surge in far-right support, sparking concern that a far-right majority could topple Von der Leyen.
Pressure is mounting on the EU chief as Hungary, with far-right politician Viktor Orban at the helm, is hoping to form a right wing majority in the European parliament.
Worryingly for the EU chief, Orban's Political Director, Balázs Orban, has warned that Hungary’s support for Von der Leyen is no longer a given.
German party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has seen a surge in support in recent months, as the public is said to feel it is "not represented" by mainstream parties.
This is particularly worrying for Ursula von der Leyen, who is gearing up for the 2024 EU election, as Germany’s backing is critical to whether the EU chief can remain in power.
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There is concern in the EU that far-right parties will form a majority in the bloc, which could put Ursula Von der Leyen's leadership at risk
PA
The right-wing party Alternative for Germany has seen its numbers grow in recent months, overtaking mainstream parties in Germany as disastisfaction with their offerings grows.
A survey released in June showed that the ruling coalition of Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and Liberals (FDP) would now only accrue 38 per cent of the vote. But AfD would take 19 per cent of the vote on its own.
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