John Downing: Emmanuel Macron’s huge gamble on snap elections sends ripples across Europe - all the way to Fianna Fáil

Far-right rival Marine Le Pen is happy to take on the battle

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen party headquarters in Paris after the announcement of the election. Photo: Thomas Padilla/AP

John Downing

It was originally De Gaulle’s idea to embed in his 1958 French constitution the president’s power to dissolve the national parliament after mere consultation with a handful of other key political people.

Now President Emmanuel Macron has evoked it. But his huge high-wire gamble – calling a snap general ­election after the drubbing his party got in Sunday’s Euro vote – is a stratagem with a mixed record of success.