Macron warns of ‘civil war’ if far left or far right wins – POLITICO

The extreme left, led by the hardliner Jean-Luc Mélenchon, is promoting a form of division for electoral reasons “that also promotes civil war because it reduces people to their religious or ethnic group,” Macron continued, referring to allegations that the “La France Inségénable” party wanted to position itself to attract Muslim voters by using its critical stance on the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip.

The French president sparked an uproar when he called for new elections on June 9 after his coalition suffered a crushing defeat in the European elections by the far-right Rassemblement National. The French are now preparing for parliamentary elections that could bring a record number of far-right MPs to the National Assembly.

According to recent polls, the Rassemblement National would receive 35 percent of the vote in the first round on Sunday, putting it ahead of a left-wing alliance that includes the Indomitable France party with 27 percent and Macron’s centrists with 19 percent.

In recent days, allies of the French president have warned of the risks France faces if voters turn to the far right or the far left, particularly the risk of economic turmoil.

On Monday, the president even went a step further and warned that the “extremes” would exacerbate “conflicts and civil wars.”

“When you are fed up and daily life is hard, you may be tempted to vote for the extremes that offer quicker solutions. But the solution will never be to reject others,” he said.