It’s not you, it’s me: Emmanuel Macron promises change

French President Emmanuel Macron has promised a change of style regardless of who wins snap elections.

French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris. Picture: AFP.

French President Emmanuel Macron has promised a change of style regardless of who wins snap elections he called, as fresh polls indicate his centrist party could be trounced by the far right.

Despite the prospect of a hung parliament, Mr Macron insisted he would finish out his term, which ends in 2027, defying calls to step down in case the far-right National Rally comes out on top.

“The goal cannot be to just continue as things were,” Mr Macron said. “I have heard that you want change. You can trust me to act until May 2027 as your president, protector at every ­moment of our republic, our values, respectful of pluralism and your choices, at your service and that of the nation.”

But Marine Le Pen, the ­National Rally’s figurehead, called on Mr Macron to resign, saying it was the only way to avoid a lame-duck presidency.

Her comments came as two opinion polls showed the ­National Rally with 35-36 per cent support as the first round looms on June 30. A left-wing ­alliance is on 27-29.5 per cent, with Mr Macron’s centrists in third at 19.5-22 per cent.

That would put the far right within reach of an absolute ­majority of at least 289 seats – and open a combative period of ­“cohabitation” government in which the president and prime minister hail from rival parties.

Mr Macron acknowledged that his decision to call the snap polls had generated “anger that has turned against me”.

He also noted “this fracture between the people and those who lead the country, which we have not succeeded in reducing”.

“The goal cannot be to just continue as things were. I have heard that you want change,” he added.

But he insisted that the coming vote, with a second round on July 7, was “neither a presidential election, nor a vote of confidence in the president of the republic”.

Instead it was a chance to ­answer “a single question: who should govern France?” “The incoming government, which will necessarily reflect your vote, will I hope resemble the various republicans who will have shown the courage to oppose the extremes,” he said.

In the EU parliament election earlier this month the far right finished first in France at 31.5 per cent, double the 15 per cent for Mr Macron’s centrist Renaissance.

Opinion polls suggest the ­National Rally would end up naming a prime minister, most likely party chief Jordan Bardella.

AFP