German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed concern about the possible outcome of the snap parliamentary elections in France, an important EU partner country.
"I'm worried about the elections in France," the Social Democrat (SPD) politician said on Sunday in a summer interview on German public broadcaster ARD.
He hoped "that parties that are not Le Pen" would be successful, he explained, referring to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party, but he emphasized: "The French will decide that."
He will continue to see French President Emmanuel Macron on the committees in which he sits as chancellor as the presidency is not being contested, but nevertheless a new far-right parliament would constitute a change, Scholz said.
In response to the defeat of his liberal forces in the European elections and a resounding victory for the right-wing nationalists, Macron had surprisingly announced new elections to the National Assembly in two rounds, on June 30 and July 7.
