Macron regains power to call another snap election in France: Will he roll the dice again?

A year after French President Emmanuel Macron stunned Europe by calling snap elections that nearly delivered power to the far right, speculation is once again swirling about whether he might try it again. According to a Politico report citing multiple officials and Macron confidants, the president remains tempted by another high-stakes throw of the dice, despite publicly ruling it out earlier this year.

According to the report, the centrist government, now led by Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, is barely holding on, and with the far-right National Rally dominating the National Assembly, Macron appears increasingly frustrated. “Macron is boiling over. It’s driving him crazy,” one of his close friends told Politico, describing rising tensions in both the president’s political and personal life.

Last year’s snap polls, announced by Macron on the night of the European elections in June 2024, backfired spectacularly. His party lost its legislative majority, the far right surged, and France entered a period of political gridlock. Despite his bold declaration at the time — “It’s better to have Bardella at Matignon than Le Pen at the Elysee in 2027” — Macron’s bet that the Left would fail to unite proved wrong. They did come together, narrowly beating the National Rally, though without securing a clear majority.

While Macron seemed to rule out another election during his April trip to Madagascar, Politico reports that he has privately kept the option alive. Former President Francois Hollande reportedly believes Macron is still mulling it. “Of course” he’s thinking about another election, Hollande has told contacts, calling it Macron’s “last power.”