German Chancellor Scholz hopes Rassemblement National does not win in French election

A week before France’s early general elections, Olaf Scholz said he was “concerned” about the prospect of a victory for Marine Le Pen’s party. “But it is up to the French people to decide,” the German Chancellor added.

The elections on June 30 and July 7 are not only being scrutinized in France; political leaders abroad are also keeping an eye on the potential victory of the Rassemblement National (RN), which just gained more than 30 percent in the European elections. In any case, Olaf Scholz is worried about this scenario.

“I am worried about the elections in France,” the German Chancellor told public television ARD on Sunday, June 23. He added unambiguously, “And I hope that parties that are not those of [Marine] Le Pen, so to speak, win the elections. But it’s up to the French people to decide.”

Beyond the Rhine, on June 9, Emmanuel Macron’s announcement of the Assembly’s dissolution sent shockwaves across Europe. Following Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his coalition’s crushing defeat, the far-right AfD party, like the Rassemblement National, demanded early general elections, as Le Figaro remembers.

Recall, however, that AfD is no longer in the same political group as the RN, which, over the years, has followed a path toward the center and moderation

Of course, Scholz is hoping for a left-wing victory in France, but this seems increasingly unlikely: polls give the Rassemblement National close to an absolute majority, and the left is trailing, with Macron’s party in third place. Not only that, seeing capitalists backing the president vote out communists and left-wing extremists to keep RN candidate Bardella from winning is a paradoxical sight. Something that can only be seen in today’s sick European politics.