France bans radical groups ahead of divisive snap polls
France bans radical groups ahead of divisive snap polls
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin on Wednesday ordered the dissolution of extreme right and radical Islamist groups, four days before the June 30 first round of high-stakes legislative elections that could see the far-right National Rally (RN) come to power after a short, divisive campaign. Read our liveblog to see how all the day's events unfolded.
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- The French government on Wednesday ordered the dissolution of several ultra right-wing groups, including the GUD (Groupe Union Défense) active in the Paris region, and a number of radical Islamist groups ahead of Sunday's first round of the legislative elections.
- An Ifop poll published Wednesday put the far-right National Rally (RN) and its allies ahead with 36% of the popular vote. The left’s New Popular Front has 28.5%, while President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist bloc is trailing with 21% of the popular vote.
- Socialist Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo warned that President Emmanuel Macron risked "spoiling" the 2024 Paris Olympics next month by calling snap parliamentary elections.
- A day after Tuesday night's first televised debate between the far-right National Rally's Jordan Bardella, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and Manuel Bompard from leftist bloc New Popular Front, Attal campaigns on Wednesday in Azay-le-Rideau and Parçay-Meslay in France's central Loire region.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)