French president calls for new elections after EU vote
French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the lower house of parliament yesterday after suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of the far-right in the European elections. He called for legislative elections to begin on June 30.
Macron’s decision is a devastating measure of the outcome of the European Parliament elections. His centrist party is expected to gain around half the support of Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally, which would make it France’s main party.
“The rise of nationalists and demagogues is a danger for our country and for Europe,” Macron said. “After this day, I cannot continue as if nothing happened.”
Early predictions for the European Parliament elections in the 27-nation European Union appear to point to strong victories for several far-right parties. If confirmed, the results would be a powerful measure of voter dissatisfaction and a damning rebuke to the political mainstream. This is instant results.
“The move was not widely expected and its consequences are still unclear, so it is difficult to say exactly why Macron decided to take this step now,” my colleague Aurelian Breeden, who covers France, told me. “But his domestic agenda has been hampered by a slim majority in the lower house of parliament over the past two years, and a strong showing by the far right appears to have convinced him that he can no longer carry on business as usual.”
The rise of the right: Right-wing parties have made gains as voters focus on nationalism and identity – themes often associated with immigration and some culture war politics. Lingering anger over COVID-19 policies may also play a role.
More about France: Macron’s The decision comes just weeks before the Summer Olympics are due to begin in Paris in July, posing a period of high political uncertainty for France.
in Germany: The Alternative for Germany, a far-right party officially labeled a “suspicious” extremist group by the country’s authorities, has performed strongly. The results are expected to make it Germany’s second-ranked party.
Benny Gantz quits Israeli government
Israeli politician Benny Gantz, a key member of the war cabinet, quit the government yesterday over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the Gaza war. The move is unlikely to force Netanyahu from power, but Gantz’s moderate stance could help bolster the government’s international credibility.
Last month, Gantz threatened to resign unless Netanyahu immediately answered major questions, including the return of hostages and the future governance of Gaza. Without Gantz’s party, the prime minister’s government would be made up of the right-wing Likud party, two far-right parties and two ultra-Orthodox factions. Analysts say Gantz’s departure could embolden far-right ministers in the coalition.
war: Israel’s operation to rescue four hostages in central Gaza on Saturday triggered heavy aerial bombardments and ground operations that left more than 200 people dead, according to two hospital officials in the region.
In Israel: The joy of the rescue was quickly replaced by cruel reality. About 120 captives remain in Gaza, and Israelis fear time is running out to rescue the hostages – about a quarter of whom Israeli authorities have declared dead.
Central Gaza: Satellite images show new tent cities rising as people fleeing to Rafah are relocated again.
Modi begins third term
Modi was sworn in yesterday for his third term as Prime Minister of India. His tone became softer as he was forced to form a coalition government and lost his parliamentary majority.
He struck a conciliatory tone in a speech on Friday: “To run a government, a majority is necessary. But to run a country, consensus is necessary.” He also publicly highlighted his main coalition partners at the event. But The question remains: Can Modi truly become a consensus builder, something he has eluded for more than two decades in elected office?
How it happened: Here’s a map of where he won and lost voters.
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Japan’s weak yen has attracted tourists to the country. But as popular attractions in cities like Kyoto become unmanageable and foreign tourists flock to places once unknown to tourists, some Japanese residents are growing increasingly frustrated.
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Translation market: As English fluency increased in Europe, readers began to purchase original American and British books. Publishers are worried.
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Play our games: After years of renting a house in Dubai, a French woman decided to put down roots. Which house did she buy?
Cricket T20 World Cup
India defeated Pakistan yesterday in the International Cricket Council Men’s T20 World Cup, which was held in Long Island outside New York City. India won by 6 runs: batting first, the score was 119 runs to Pakistan’s 113 runs.
Ratings are set to be high as geopolitical tensions heighten the rivalry between the two cricketing nations. In fact, there are very few games between the two countries – they do not cooperate outside of ICC events due to political animosity. More than 400 million people are expected to watch, more than three times the viewership of this year’s Super Bowl.
New York might be a surprising choice of location. In fact, the stadium was built specifically for the event and will disappear once the game is over. But the United States, along with West Indies as hosts, try to boost cricket’s growth in the United States.
background: Pakistan lost miserably to the United States. Some commentators called it one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport.
