The French President announces the dissolution of the National Assembly: What you need to know

On 9 June 2024, the French elected their representatives to the European Parliament.

In France, seats are distributed between the various lists using the proportional representation system, and a list must exceed the threshold of 5% of the votes cast in order to have its candidates elected to the European elections in France.

The 81 seats in the European Parliament are therefore divided between the French lists that obtained more than 5%.

According to the provisional results, seven lists exceed the 5% threshold required to obtain MEPs.

• The Rassemblement National list won the European elections by a wide margin, with 31.37% of the vote, compared with 23.3% at the last elections.

• In second place, the Renaissance presidential majority won 14.6% of the vote.

• The Socialist Party obtained 14% of the votes, France insoumise 10.1% and the Republicans 7.2%.

• Finally, the ecologists and the Reconquête party obtained the necessary 5%: 5.50% and 5.47%.

Following the election results, the President of the Republic announced the dissolution of the National Assembly and the calling of new legislative elections, scheduled for 30 June and 7 July 2024.

Article 12 of the French Constitution provides for the dissolution of the National Assembly.

The power of dissolution is vested in the President of the Republic, which means that he can dissolve the Assembly at any time without first obtaining the approval of his government.

The Head of State informs the Prime Minister and the Presidents of the Assembly and Senate beforehand. However, the latter may not object.

It should be noted that since the dissolution was pronounced this year, such a measure cannot be repeated the year following the election of the new members of the Assembly.

A decree officially recording the dissolution should be issued shortly.

This measure puts an immediate end to the mandates of the current Members of Parliament.

Consequently, in order to take their seats again, the 577 MPs will have to stand for re-election in the new general elections scheduled for 30 June and 7 July 2024.

Although the electoral timetable appears so short, it is explicitly provided for in article 12 of the Constitution, which states that new legislative elections must take place at least twenty days following the dissolution and at most forty days.

The President's choice of a limited deadline is therefore in no way arbitrary.

Article 33 of Title VII of the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly stipulates that the President of the Assembly and the Quaestors are responsible for the temporary management of the Assembly. The latter assume the general administrative powers of the Bureau until the new Members take office. Between the dissolution and the election of the new members, the legislative calendar is put on hold.

As a result, no new bills may be submitted, and work in progress, such as that on the protection of national public services or on the end of life, has been suspended.

Authored by Christine Le Bihan-Graf, Xenia Legendre, and Maxime Gardellin.