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More Democrats Call For Biden To Drop Out Of The Race For Presidency; Leftists Beat Far-Right In France's Snap Parliamentary Election; Hungary's Orban Holds Talks With Xi During Surprise Beijing Visit; Biden To Host NATO Leaders In Washington; French Parliamentary Elections: Left Wing Coalition Beats Far Right in Surprise Result; Global Reaction to Election Result in France; Ceasefire-Hostage Release Talks to Resume in Qatar This Week; Boeing Plea Deal in Criminal Charge over Safety, Crashes; Beryl Back to Hurricane Strength Ahead of Texas Landfall; Lewis Hamilton Captures Record Ninth British Grand Prix. Aired 1-2a ET

Aired July 08, 2024 - 01:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, and welcome, everyone. I'm Michael Holmes.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Max Foster in Paris, where a stunning election result is the left wing coalition winning the most seats in the French Parliament what this means for the current leadership and reaction from the far right, just ahead.

HOLMES: Plus, the crucial week for U.S. President Joe Biden as more top House Democrats call on him to drop out of the 2024 race. What this could mean with just over a month ago with the Democratic National Convention.

FOSTER: It is 7:00 a.m. here in France, where the left-wing coalition has won the most seats in parliament defeating the far-right in a stunning upset. The New Popular Font coalition of several parties won 182 seats in the National Assembly, making it the largest bloc but it fell short of an absolute majority.

President Emmanuel Macron centrist Ensemble Alliance got 163 seats, while Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and its allies got 143 seats. Speaking to supporters is Jean-Luc Melenchon, one of the prominent leaders of the coalition said the results came as a quote huge relief for the overwhelming majority of people in the country.

And Mr. Macron's office says the president will ensure the choice of the French people is respected. After the first round of voting, the fire-right's run to power was undone by tactical deal making between centrist and leftist opponents.

More than 200 candidates withdrew from the second round to avoid splitting the anti-National Rally vote. CNN's Melissa Bell has been following the results and has this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Shocked result screens of jubilation mixed with tears of joy. France's political pendulum swinging left in the second round of the country's parliamentary elections.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When we start with that, like I know in my street people are starting shouting. So we're really happy.

BELL (voice-over): The new Popular Front left-wing Alliance forum less than a month ago sweeping the most seats.

Jean-Luc Melenchon, FRANCE UNBOWED PARTY LEADER (through translator): Unified left has shown it is capable of facing this historic event, and it has suffered the trap which was set for the country.

BELL (voice-over): The snap election was called by President Macron after France's far-right National Rally party dominated European elections. It then went on to take a commanding lead in the first round of voting in his parliamentary elections, but then suffered a major blow in the second. The party's leader Jordan Bardella fighting frustration and disappointment after the stunning loss.

JORDAN BARDELLA, NATIONAL RALLY LEADER (through translator): I tell you in all seriousness that the private millions of French people have seen the possibility of their ideas and thoughts represented in government will never be viable for friends.

BELL: The biggest disappointment of all of course from Marine Le Pen. She had hope that her National Rally party would finally be able to govern. In fact, it came in third, but still recorded the party's best ever electoral success.

BELL (voice-over): Yet the result that sets off those tears of jubilation has also plunged the country into political chaos. With no clear majority parliament is left gridlocked. And the left-wing Alliance which was formed with no clear leader, also now needs to determine who becomes prime minister.

GABRIEL ATTAL, OUTGOING FRENCH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): I know that in the light of tonight's results are good many French people feel very unsure about the future because there is no absolute majority. Our country is faced with an unprecedented political situation.

BELL (voice-over): And unprecedented political situation that includes a French parliament even more fractious and divided than it was before. Melissa Bell, CNN, Paris.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: Joining me Sebastien Maillard. He's a special adviser to the Jacques Delors Institute of independent think tank. Thank you so much for joining us. I mean, it really is a massive turnaround, isn't it in the vote, a big turnout followed by a lot of tactical voting. Turn last weekend's result on its head. SEBASTIEN MAILLARD, SPECIAL ADVISER, JACQUES DELORS INSTITUTE: No, that was a surprise in the polls didn't predict this. But we still ended up with a high in parliament.

[01:05:00]

We still have three blocs, not in the order, we thought I mean, the first round, we saw, the Eren (ph) came first. And now he's had this left-wing coalition first. But we still have three blocs. And it's still difficult to see who is going to govern France tomorrow, because the left-wing coalition is the only one claiming to be able to be in the position to govern. But it's very far from having any kind of absolute majority.

And they refuse, at least for the far-left component --

FOSTER: Yes.

MAILLARD: -- to go into any compromise with any other components of with the other blocs. So I predict many power struggles both between both blocs to see who is able to get the majority. And also inside the blocs, who actually is the one heading the bloc, because, for instance, inside this far -- this left-wing coalition, we saw Jean-Luc Melenchon, trying to embody, he was the head of this coalition.

But of course, if we count really the seats, he's at his own party, the answer to me is not the dominant one. So it will be difficult, I think, for the weeks to come to really see how France will be governed.

FOSTER: Because their first challenge is going to be to agree on a prime minister to nominate because current one Attal is hard to get his resignation today. And, you know, is Macron even going to accept it?

MAILLARD: Well, Macron will -- was probably asked him to keep to stay Prime Minister for the coming weeks to have a caretaker government. For we need, still, the destiny still has to set off and the Olympics is there. So I think, by the end of the Olympics, Attal will stay. I mean, he has to resign. It's a tradition after such elections to offer your recognition to the president, then the President can of course, ask him to stay on just as the caretaker government.

And then this will leave time to see what kind of coalition can emerge spending either from the central left to the center, right? Or if we may even imagine a renaissance trying to build with on the try to find -- there is everything. It's quite confused at the moment.

But we need some the weeks ahead will be necessary to see who yes can be in the position to become the prime minister. And that will be also up to this laughing coalition to be in themselves to find an agreement between the parties --

FOSTER: Yes. It could be the challenge.

MAILLARD: Because Jean-Luc Melenchon is a very divisive figure. FOSTER: Yes.

MAILLARD: And so --

FOSTER: As divisive as the far-right, isn't it?

MAILLARD: It's a, I mean, he's quite Euroskeptic. It's -- they're very divided on the on Europe inside the left-wing coalition.

FOSTER: And we've had an interesting comment from Spain's Prime Minister hailing the votes in France and Britain where the left also won the election for voting against the far-right. But is that actually a legitimate analysis? Because we've seen the far right game, a lot of seats that now pretty much the official opposition, aren't they in France.

So over time, they are gaining and there may come a point where they will, you know, get an absolute majority.

MAILLARD: Well, this they didn't fix it this time. We can see with this snap election that they still look pretty scary. I mean, that's why they do the very high turnout that overthrew them.

FOSTER: Yes.

MAILLARD: So, but yes, they were they in the first round, let's not forget the first run, and they had over 10 million voters. So those voters feel very frustrated, and have the feeling that elites in Paris sort of collided together against them.

So yes, if we do not want in 22 states -- 2027 for them to win the presidential election, they must -- the new government, whatever it is, must address the issues raised by the Eran (ph) security on migration in a way that it should to overcome the frustration.

FOSTER: What does this mean for the European Union? Because France is one of the two big players in the European Union. And as you suggested, there's going to be some political chaos instability here. Does that weaken the European Union?

MAILLARD: It weakens France inside the EU. I mean, putting Marcon will still be sitting in the European Council and will be the voice of France in this institution. But when you have been defeated in your own country, when you have such an important debt and running a fiscal deficit, and no clear position of where France stands, with these three blocs that haven't been able to make a government yet, yes, it weakens France inside the EU.

So it weakens the E.U. because France is one of the big players inside this and Germany, which is also has its own divisions is also not in a leadership position. So I think there will be a clear leadership crisis inside the E.U. with the situation we saw our trade union actions have done as testing Poland managed to a have been a bigger position. We have von der Leyen being reconducted.

[01:10:03] But France will not be throwing out new ideas and will not be. And even Macron has lost -- has lost lots of his leadership because of the confusion in his own country.

FOSTER: Sebastien, I really appreciate your analysis here. It's difficult to keep up with sometimes, isn't it European politics, Michael, you know, a lot of tactical voting but a vote in democracy in a way because on that second round, we had so many more people coming out to vote, because I think they were pretty shocked themselves by how, you know, the right surge last weekend.

HOLMES: Yeah, massive, massive turnout that just showed the passion for getting out there and voting for a party or against another one. Max, good to see my friend. We'll check in with you a little bit later.

Meanwhile, here in the United States, a number of House Democrats are joining the growing chorus calling on Joe Biden to exit the presidential race. But for the U.S. president it's been business as usual with campaign stops in the battleground state of Pennsylvania on Sunday, where he once again insisted he's pushing forward and has never been more optimistic he said about America's future. CNN White House correspondent Arlette Saenz with more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: President Biden told reporters traveling with him in Pennsylvania on Sunday that he does believe the Democratic Party is behind him in the 2024 race, but there are more signs emerging that that might not be the case.

So on Sunday, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a phone call with the ranking members of several top committees in the House and sources tell CNN that several of the Democratic lawmakers on that call said they believe it's time for President Biden to step aside in this race.

The sources told CNN that about six top House Democrats said that they want to see the President leave the 2024 campaign that included Congressman Adam Smith, Jerry Nadler, Susan Wild, who is a frontline Democrat in Pennsylvania, all saying that they did not think the president should be the Democratic nominee.

There were a few people who spoke up in defense of President Biden including Congresswoman Maxine Waters and Bobby Scott saying that he should be able to remain in this race. But sources tell CNN that the number of people who wanted to see the president step aside outnumbered those who were in favor of him staying in this race, at least those who spoke up on this call.

Now it all presents a very interesting dynamic for President Biden, especially as Congress is set to return to Washington this week. So much of the debate about President Biden remaining in the 2024 race has played out with while lawmakers have been back at home over the over the Fourth of July holiday hearing directly from their members, but this week, they will be back here in Washington in front of reporters holding meetings of their own. We're certainly this issue of the 2024 campaign will arise.

Now, the House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries held this call really to take the temperature of these leaders heading into this week's congressional business. But sources tell CNN that so far Jeffries has not shown his own hands either way. He has not weighed in in these calls about whether he believes President Biden should step aside or remain in this race.

Now, President Biden is still charging ahead with his campaign campaigning in the battleground of Pennsylvania on Sunday. His -- joining him on the trail where several elected officials from Pennsylvania including senators Bob Casey, John Fetterman and Natalie Dean, the state's governor, a Democrat Josh Shapiro also joined the presidents at one of his stops the campaign really hoping that this will show some elected officials who are still supporting President Biden who are out there campaigning with him.

The President has been defiant insisting that he will stay in this race despite some of the pressure within his party. He's already planning out travel to go to Michigan and Nevada in the coming weeks, two critical battleground states as he's really trying to convince voters and ease their concerns following that debate.

But certainly there will be many questions facing President Biden here in Washington this week, especially as lawmakers are set to return. And there has been this growing chorus publicly and privately calling for the president to step aside and the 2024 campaign at this moment. Arlette Saenz, CNN, the White House.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Now earlier I spoke with Larry Sabato, Director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. He discussed the factors which could determine whether Biden ultimately decides to stay in the race or step aside.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER OF POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Whether the Democrats want to admit it or not, whether the Biden campaign wants to admit it or not. President Biden is behind. He was behind before the debate. And he's further behind now.

I know there's been one other poll suggesting that the swing states are still close, but you have to look at the polling averages and things don't look good. And they seem to be getting worse, that more than anything else, except maybe for the views of the big donors, and will probably determine whether Biden stays or goes.

[01:15:00]

HOLMES: I see this a lot on social media and it does resonate a bit. I mean, do you see elements of a media feeding frenzy on this whole issue, particularly when Donald Trump has major issues with his own cognition and clarity of thought? I mean, do you think there's a bit of a blood in the water mood with Biden rather than, you know, more measured and balanced reporting on this issue, including the other candidate?

SABATO: Yes, I actually entitled a book I wrote back in the early 90s, "Feeding Frenzy." And so I'm well familiar with media feeding frenzy. Is this a frenzy? It is. Is it justified as many frenzies are? Yes, because that appearance of the debate was extraordinary. Actually, it was extraordinarily bad.

And I do think it reaffirmed people's doubts. Not everybody had articulated them, but most people had doubts about someone running for another four-year term as president at age 82. So I don't blame the media for that.

What I do blame them for is under covering Trump's lies and misrepresentations, and also his own slurring of words and words, salads, those ridiculous word salads of his that make no sense. You know, he's showing signs of age to. He's 78.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Donald Trump distancing himself from a plan to radically reshape the federal government should he win the 2024 election. The pro Trump conservative group Project 2025's proposal calls for drastic reform of the federal government, including gutting some federal agencies, and a vast expansion of presidential powers. CNN's Dana Bash was one of Trump's top the key candidates on the plan.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: There is a conservative effort. It's called Project 2025. And it includes several former Trump administration officials. They are arguing and they have in their platform, if you will, to purge thousands of civilians, excuse me, purge thousands of civil servants from federal agencies vastly expand the power of the presidency. And I want you to listen to what one of the leaders of Project 2025 said this week.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are in the process of the Second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to be.

BASH: Are you comfortable with that?

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R) FLORIDA: Well, he's not running for president, is he? I mean, there are candidates Donald Trump. I didn't say Donald Trump say that. Donald Trump's running on common sense on restoring common sense versus the lunacy of the last four years in the far left and the shadow government that now is running our country, with Joe Biden as its figurehead. That's what he's running against.

Think tanks do think tank stuff. They come up with ideas. They say things I look, I like Heritage Foundation. I agree with some of the things they stand for. But there's a bunch of scholars and people to turn around and work on different projects. But our candidate for president is Donald Trump. And Donald Trump is running on restoring common sense, working class values, and making our decisions on the basis of that, not an ideological lunacy, which is what we've seen over the last four years under Joe Biden. BASH: Is that what Project 2025 is, is it ideological lunacy?

RUBIO: No, I think it's the work of a think tank of a center-right think tank, and that's the think tanks do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Still to come on the program. Dozens of world leaders arriving in Washington this week for the NATO Summit, giving President Biden a chance to reboot his image on the world stage. Plus, Hungary's Prime Minister in Beijing, ostensibly to work for peace in Ukraine, but the visit drawing criticism from his European and NATO Allies.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[01:20:51]

HOLMES: Russia is vowing to respond after Ukraine attacked a warehouse in the country's Voronezh region near the border on Sunday. Authorities called a state of emergency in the area and told people to evacuate after a massive fire broke out at the warehouse. No injuries reported.

A Ukrainian source says the warehouse was targeted with drones because it was storing missiles artillery shells and ammunition for Russian soldiers on the front lines. Russian officials claimed several drones were destroyed and the falling debris started the fire.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is in Beijing on what he calls a quote peace mission 3.0. Orban posted this picture of his arrival on Monday morning before meeting the Chinese leader Xi Jinping is visit to Beijing coming after two high profile international trips in the past week.

He met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Monday, on Friday rather, a trip that the U.S. called counterproductive to Hungary's relationship with its allies. And on Tuesday, Orban met Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv and urged him to consider a ceasefire to quote speed up peace talks.

Now, amid the growing questions over whether he is fit for office, U.S. President Joe Biden is getting ready to host some of America's closest allies for the NATO summit. The gathering kicks off in Washington Tuesday marking the 75th anniversary of the Alliance. Crews already putting up barricades as you see there over the weekend to prepare for this high stakes summit.

The White House says talks will largely focus on upping support for Ukraine and the country's path to eventually joining the Alliance. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says he had a productive meeting with Mr. Biden to prepare for the summit.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO SECRETARY GENERAL: I'm absolutely confident that when all NATO leaders convened here this week, it will be a great summit. We will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the most successful alliance in history. And I just met President Biden in the Oval Office a couple of weeks ago. And that was a good and productive meeting where we prepared all the important decisions we'll make err on defense, on support for Ukraine, and at least on burden sharing that European allies and are really stepping up and spending record amount of money on defense, and of course, also on China and our need to work together.

So this is a substance of the summit. And of course, these decisions would not have been possible to make without a strong U.S. leadership.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: Mr. Biden is expected to take questions at a news conference when the summit concludes on Thursday.

Joining me now is former ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker. He is a Distinguished Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis and a senior advisor for the Atlantic Council. Mr. Ambassador, thanks so much for your time.

This is an important gathering on a number of fronts from, you know, the health and leadership of Joe Biden, to the levels of support for Ukraine and path to possible membership. What do you see as the top tier agenda items?

KURT VOLKER, FORMER U.S. AMBASSADOR TO NATO: Well, that's a great question, because the two things that are on people's minds the most are, is there a plan for helping Ukraine win the war? And there isn't a plan right now, and I don't think this summit will take us there. And also what's going to be the future of American leadership? We see all these questions about President Biden's health whether you'll continue as the nominee. And if he doesn't, well, then it looks like President Trump comes back a lot of uncertainty over both those issues.

And unfortunately, it looks like the psalm that is pre-scripted and not really going to tackle these existential questions.

HOLMES: Yes, as I so often so. So as part of that pre-scripting Ukraine's membership or let's call it the path to membership, the so called bridge to membership, what might that look like? What are the issues there? Is Ukrainian and be okay with that?

VOLKER: Right. Well, in 20 --2008, NATO gave a promise to Ukraine you will one day become a member and years and years have gone by and we've repeated this mantra year after year, yes Ukraine is going to be a member someday.

[01:25:06]

Last year, at the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, we said the same things. And yes, Ukraine will be a member, but not now. They don't need a Membership Action Plan, but they're not ready now. And now I think we're going to see the same thing again. This is now becoming concern for the Ukrainians. Ukrainians are saying, look, we are fighting on the frontiers of freedom. We're defending all of Europe. We have one of the most capable militaries. And we need to end this war and bring peace back to Europe. And you're still saying, we can't be a member. You can't bring us in now.

I think that this is actually going to be something that we will look back on after this summit goes by and say we missed an opportunity.

HOLMES: Yes. And to that point, I want -- one thing we keep hearing from Ukraine is we're getting enough help to not lose the war, but not enough to win it. The NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, I read a piece he wrote in Foreign Affairs. And he said that quote, the reality is that for Ukraine to prevail, NATO needs to do more and more quickly. Can we expect military levels of support to increase?

VOLKER: Well, first off, Secretary General Stoltenberg is exactly right. We have so much more capability in terms of our economic strength, our military strength, our political strength, we could be doing so much more to help Ukraine that we are not doing.

As a result of that, Ukraine is getting just enough to survive, but not enough to win. And in fact, we're still imposing limits on the types of weapon systems we provide, or the use of those weapons systems.

Will this change? It's not going to change at the summit. This, as I said, is pre-scripted. There's going to be some incremental means of helping Ukraine through NATO for the first time, but it's not going to be a game changer. But it can be done and it should be done.

HOLMES: We mentioned Joe Biden, and a lot of people eyes will be on him. And you mentioned Donald Trump as well. What are the concerns do you think within NATO about a potential Trump 2.0 given, you know, his antipathy towards NATO? What many says deference to Vladimir Putin, his criticism of aid to Ukraine, and NATO's European members likely contemplating a NATO without the U.S. or at least the level of us support that exists right now if Trump does win?

VOLKER: Yes, well, it's again, a terrific question. And Europeans are really in very different places in how they respond to that question. In Western Europe, you have Europeans that are terribly concerned about a return of former President Trump as president United States. They worry that he would undercut NATO's Article 5 commitment that he would embolden Putin. He would start a tariff war. They really are concerned about Trump.

In Central and Eastern Europe, think about Poland and the Baltic states and also Ukraine. Yes, they share some of those concerns. But they're also worried about what they already see, which is an appearance of American weakness of NATO weakness, lack of resolve in the face of Putin's aggression. And they worry about a continuation of that.

And so on both sides, there's concern about the future of American leadership, and what it means for support for NATO and Ukraine. HOLMES: And this is the 75th anniversary of what's been called the strongest most enduring alliance in recorded history. But what risks does it face in maintaining that strength and unity? I mean, Hungary's Viktor Orban's off visiting the Chinese. He's already been to visit the Russians. I mean, he's -- he speaks counter to a lot of what Europe wants in that foreign affairs. What are the risks to that strengthen unity?

VOLKER: Well, you mentioned Hungary and I think it's a good example, there are a couple of countries within NATO, Hungary's the most prominent that do not share the basic view of NATO about Russia's war against Ukraine. We've seen this before.

If you think back to the 1980s, European allies had different views about the nuclear umbrella and the role of nuclear policy and deterrence. And so some countries even took footnotes at NATO and said, OK, we can agree to this communique. But we don't agree to the nuclear part. And I think Hungary is putting itself in that same position with respect to Ukraine.

But I think there's a bigger issue here, which is NATO was founded on the idea that we take risks together in order to preserve peace.

[01:29:48]

The whole point of NATO is to prevent war by deterring it. We are now facing a situation where Europe is in the biggest war than it has been in since World War II. More people killed, more territory at risk. And NATO is not stopping that war at the moment.

And in fact, NATO was feeling rather deterred and wants to preserve the security of the western part of Europe by not taking risks in the east. That's the opposite of the logic on which NATO was founded in 1949.

MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.

VOLKER: You know, the logic then was that we have to band together to protect peace and prevent future wars.

HOLMES: Always great, a valuable voice to get your analysis on this, Ambassador Kurt Volker. Thanks so much.

VOLKER: Thank you.

A shock result in a snap election. The left comes out on top in a vote the far-right was expected to do better in. We'll go back to Max Foster in Paris for more on the French election. next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Welcome back. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Michael Holmes.

FOSTER: I'm Max Foster in Paris where a stunning snap election has completely reshaped the government. We just don't know what it's going to look like yet.

Here in France, the country's left-wing alliance has come out on top after the second round of parliamentary elections. There were celebrations in the streets when the results were announced.

The outcome was a reversal to the first round of voting a week earlier that saw National Rally top its rivals. But after the second and final round, the far-right came in third. The New Popular Front coalition came in first with 182 seats making it the largest bloc. President Emmanuel Macron's centrist alliance came in second.

Mr. Macron, who called the snap elections, vowed earlier that the results will be respected. But his move is likely to lead to political uncertainty with no alliance reaching an absolute majority.

French Prime Minister Attal says, hell submit his resignation on Monday. Though he says he'll continue his duties as long as he's needed.

Attal says he's stepping down as the country faces an unprecedented political situation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GABRIEL ATTAL, FRENCH PRIME MINISTER (through translator): My commitment in this campaign was for me a duty. From the start of this campaign, I've been alerted of three risks. The risk of an absolute majority dominated by France Unbowed, the risk of an absolute majority dominated by the National Rally and the risk of disappearance from the movement that represents our ideas and our values.

Today, these three risks have been eliminated by the French tonight. No absolute majority can be driven by the extreme.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[01:34:51]

FOSTER: The prominent far right -- far left rather leader, Jean-Luc Melenchon of the France Unbowed party, says the popular front victory gives President Macron a clear mandate to appoint a new left-wing prime minister.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEAN-LUC MELENCHON, LEADER, FRANCE UNBOWED, (through translator): Now the will of the people must be strictly respected. From now on, no tricks, backroom deals, nor combinations would be acceptable.

The lesson to be taken from the vote is definitive. The defeat of the president and his coalition has been confirmed with clarity.

The president has the power. The president has the duty to call on the New Popular Front to govern.

(END VIDEO CLIP) FOSTER: Meanwhile, the far-right National Rally leader says an alliance of dishonor brought about by his party's disappointing showing in the second-round vote.

He's blaming President Macron.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JORDAN BARDELLA, FRENCH NATIONAL RALLY LEADER (through translator): Tonight by deliberately trying to paralyze our institutions, Emmanuel Macron has not simply pushed the country toward uncertainty and instability. He has deprived the French people of any response to their day-to-day difficulties for many months to come.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: French President Emmanuel Macron's call for snap elections after a stinging far-right victory in June's European elections has resulted in a fractured French national assembly.

Cecile Alduy, professor of French studies at Stanford University says it also leaves Mr. Macron in a very difficult position. Here's what she told me earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CECILE ALDUY, PROFESSOR OF FRENCH STUDIES, STANFORD UNIVERSITY: He has very little power. Constitutionally speaking, the prime minister in the government governs and (INAUDIBLE) laws in the national assembly.

And so if the government is not from his political party, he's going to be sitting there and signing treaties, signing laws, but he has very little power to direct the direction of the country is trying to go toward and also to block anything.

You cannot impeach a president in France. So he's going to be this kind of honorific title a little bit like, you know, in Italy, the Italian president has very little power.

However, he might want to organize a new coalition that will be more to the left.

He was elected in 2017 on this promise of being end of the left, end of the right and in the end, he governed mostly on the right. So maybe he's going to go back to his roots. He has reinvented himself many times, so no one knows.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOSTER: Cecile Alduy, professor of French studies at Stanford University there, Michael. Certainly it does feel as if it really backfired for Macron.

HOLMES: Yes, absolutely.

Interesting days ahead. Max Foster there in Paris. We'll check in with you next hour. Thanks for that, mate.

Now some French allies are expressing relief over the country's election results. Prime Minister Donald Tusk of Poland, posting on X quote, "In Paris enthusiasm, in Moscow disappointment, in Kyiv relief, enough to be happy in Warsaw."

But an Israeli government minister is concerned about the outcome and its potential impact on Israel-France relations.

The Israeli Minister of the Diaspora called the result in his words, "very bad news". He also slammed prominent New Popular Front figure, Jean-Luc Melenchon calling him a quote, "anti-Semite and staunch Israel hater after the projected victory of the NFP.

Meanwhile, protesters in Israel held a day of disruption to push the government to do more to bring the Israeli hostages home. They blocked intersections and gathered outside government ministers' homes.

Demonstrators have been calling for new elections for months now, angry with the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

And in Gaza City, at least four more people were killed in an Israeli attack on the Holy Family School, Gaza civil defense says, one of those killed was a Hamas government's deputy minister of Labour. Israel says it struck a complex where it claims militants were hiding.

CNN cannot independently verify either of those claims.

Meanwhile, there could be a step forward towards a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas. CIA Director Bill Burns heading to Qatar for a new round of talks later this week. The head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency also expected to attend.

Journalist Elliott Gotkine explains why there is new optimism this time around.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, CNN JOURNALIST: July 7 marks nine months since the Hamas-led terrorist attacks on Israel. And a day shy of that since Hezbollah began firing on the country.

Since then Israel and Iran-backed militia in southern Lebanon have been engaged in tit for tat attacks that still threaten to boil over. Tens of thousands either side of the border have been displaced.

[01:39:53]

GOTKINE: On Sunday, Israel said Hezbollah anti-tank missiles injured a soldier and two civilians, one of whom is a U.S. citizen.

The 31-year-old man who suffered shrapnel injuries to his upper body was operated on and was initially said to be in a serious but stable addition. The hospital treating him later said his health had worsened. The attacks came a day after Israel said it killed a senior Hezbollah

operative in an airstrike in northern Lebanon.

Meanwhile, CIA Director Bill Burns heads back to Doha this week to resume talks aimed at securing a ceasefire and the release of hostages still held in Gaza. An official familiar with the meeting told CNN he'll meet with his counterparts from Egypt and Israel, as well as the Qatari prime minister amid rising hopes that a deal may be close.

This comes after a senior Hamas official told CNN it's considering dropping its demand that Israel agree to a permanent cessation of hostilities from the very start. A red line for Israel.

Under pressure from protesters to do a deal but mindful that it could cause his far-right allies to bolt from his coalition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a statement on Sunday, insisting on four points.

Firstly, that any deal will allow Israel to resume fighting until all of the objectives of the war have been achieved.

Secondly, that there'll be no smuggling of weapons to Hamas from Egypt over the Gaza border.

Thirdly, that there'll be no return of thousands of armed terrorists to the northern Gaza Strip.

And finally, that Israel will maximize the number of living hostages who will be released from Hamas captivity. Israel believes there are still 116 hostages in Gaza who were kidnapped on October 7th, around a third of whom are believed to be dead.

Elliott Gotkine, CNN -- London.

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HOLMES: Benjamin Netanyahu's office meanwhile, asking that his trial on corruption charges be delayed because of Israel's war with Hamas. But the prosecutor in the case says the court should reject that request. The prosecution wants Netanyahu to testify as early as November.

However, the prime minister's office wants the already much delayed trial pushed back to March of next year.

Beryl is back to hurricane strength in the Gulf of Mexico with a landfall in southern Texas expected in the coming hours. We'll have the latest on the storm's path after the break.

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HOLMES: A developing story for you now.

Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal charge and could pay nearly $500 million in fines for repeated safety failures. The U.S. Justice Department filed paperwork on the agreement a short time ago, but lawyers for the families of victims in two crashes say it's a sweetheart deal and that Boeing is getting off easy.

346 people died in the 2018 Lion Air crash and 2019 Ethiopian air crash. Both planes were Boeing 737 Max jets.

[01:44:47]

HOLMES: Lawyers say the families are upset because no individuals at Boeing will be prosecuted. The deal allows Boeing to plead guilty to one charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Beryl back to hurricane strength in the Gulf of Mexico, now a Category 1 storm with a landfall in southern Texas likely in the hours ahead. And in the last hour, the U.S. Storm Prediction Center issued a tornado watch related to Beryl impacting more than 7 million people.

Residents along the Texas coast to being urged not to underestimate this hurricane and to be prepared for a potentially dangerous storm surge, flash flooding, strong winds, and power outages.

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JOHN WHITMIRE, MAYOR OF HOUSTON, TEXAS: Around midnight things will become very tense. So I want Houstonians to know the world, the conditions that you go to sleep under tonight will not be the same that you wake up in the morning.

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HOLMES: CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam brings us the latest from the Texas coast.

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DEREK VAN DAM, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Residents and businesses here across the central Texas coastline are bracing for what could potentially be the first U.S. landfall and hurricane of the 2024 season.

Now Beryl has outdone all the odds working against it from Saharan dust, to strong wind shear, which typically topples developing tropical systems. That has not been the case.

It's been a named storm for ten days. Now it's running out of time to strengthen as it approaches the central Texas coastline. But one thing's for sure water temperatures over this part of the Gulf of Mexico are running abnormally high about three days degrees above where they should be this time of year.

That's like mid-August water temperatures and that is like jet fuel for strengthening hurricanes and tropical systems.

So we anticipate storm surge as a threat as that water is pushed on shore along the Texas coast.

And then of course winds. The strongest winds will be west of I-45 and south of I-10, closer to the coastline, but it's not out of the realm of possibility to see an experienced tropical storm-force gust in Houston.

And we don't have to go back that far in history to remember the straight-line winds that knocked out the windows within some of the high-rise buildings in downtown Houston. So we don't want to see a repeat of that.

The other concern, of course, flash flooding with five to ten inches and locally over a foot in this forecast. That is certainly a possibility and something that people need to monitor.

This will not be another Hurricane Harvey, which sat over eastern Texas four days after making landfall. Beryl will move out very quickly. In fact, by Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, it is going to be nearing the United States and Canada border. That's how quickly it will move away from the region.

I'm CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam from Port Lavaca, Texas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: the sweltering heat plaguing the U.S. From coast to coast isn't losing any steam either. More than 250 temperature records could be set in the coming days and nearly 40 million people could experience temperatures above 37 degrees Celsius this week.

The western U.S. in particular has been dealing with an unrelenting and rather dangerous heat wave. Excessive heat alerts remain in effect for more than 50 million people across the region through this week.

And there is very little relief with high temperature records being broken both during the daytime and the nighttime.

And now to some awe-inspiring scenes in the Mediterranean where Italy's Mount Etna, Europe's largest active volcano and the smaller Stromboli Volcano both erupted on Friday, drawing crowds of on-lookers and forcing Sicily's largest airport to temporarily shut down.

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HOLMES: Plumes of hot ash and lava crashed down the Stromboli Volcano in Italy. It is a spectacular sight, but Italian officials say it's one you don't want to get too close to.

Italy's Civil Protection Agency issued a red alert for the volcano because of its increased activity and warned the situation could deteriorate. Authorities say as a precaution, they are increasing the number of firefighters and the Italian coast guard is stepping up its patrols of the area. Although some tourists were able to take boat tours recently to get a better look at the stunning scene.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have been coming to Stromboli for many years, so we are very fond of this island. We experienced this event more as a spectacle than a worry albeit with due caution. We followed the Civil Defense's instructions.

HOLMES: Thermal imaging shows dramatic pictures of the flow pouring into the sea.

authorities say there are some risks of triggering a tsunami but Italian officials say they have evacuation plans prepared in case of an emergency.

[01:49:44]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These flows, these landslides, which are gravitational phenomena or pyroclastic flows, reach the water. Naturally reaching the sea during a season marked by a strong tourists presence post some problems so some additional well caution is required.

HOLMES: And if that wasn't enough of a show, Mount Etna on a nearby island in Sicily is once again illuminating the sky with its fiery theatrics. It's one of the world's most active volcanoes, but it's been especially busy lately after lava erupted from a crater that's been dormant for about four years. And that too is attracting a lot of visitors.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now I'm although of a lot of emotions because I have been living in Sicily for five years and I never seen this volcano so close.

HOLMES: Perhaps a little less enthusiasm from some locals who had to sweep black ash from the streets, cars and just about everything else.

Even the Catana international airport, Sicily's busiest was temporarily closed because of ash on runways.

Official say people should stay out of affected areas, caution again the advice when viewing these natural and potentially dangerous wonders of the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've seen more than 100 eruptions in my life. It's always amazing to see incredible show like that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Still to come on the program three British drivers started in the top three positions on the grid at the British Grand Prix on Sunday. Find out how they finished, when we come back.

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HOLMES: Britain's Lewis Hamilton has won his home Grand Prix for a record-extending ninth time, and it's his first victory in any Formula One race since 2021.

World Sport's Patrick Snell with the drama from Silverstone.

PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORT ANCHOR: Well, the fans at iconic Silverstone, the famed host venue of the British Grand Prix in England were in really high spirits ahead of the big race after George Russell, the homegrown 123 and qualifying for Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton and McLaren's Lando Norris. So let's get to a wet, soggy Silverstone then where the elements definitely took their toll on this race. Russell, who had pole position was dealt a huge setback when seemingly out of nowhere, he's forced to retire, amid suspected engine issues.

Russell told to retire the car from the heat of battle, the 26-year- old Mercedes man left absolutely devastated by it all.

Hamilton lurking within ten now and on the 40th lap Lewis Hamilton without a win at this point for three years, making his move, taking advantage of McLaren and Lando Norris' slowest, pitstop.

World Champ Max Verstappen pushed Hamilton very hard indeed, down the stretch but the Flying Dutchman could not take top spot. And he has to settle for second.

Norris in third, but it is history in the making for Lewis Hamilton, who makes it a record-extending ninth British grand Prix victory. And you can see there what it means to him.

Well, the seven-time world champ sharing a really special moment with his father, Anthony, as well, who will remember this win for a very long time to come, in a 2019 interview Anthony Hamilton telling us here at CNN.

So when Lewis was a youngster -- he, Hamilton Senior would work three or four jobs just to buy tires for him to go motor racing.

[01:54:51]

LEWIS HAMILTON, WINNER, BRITISH GRAND PRIX: You know, it's been since 2021, just every day getting up, trying to fight, to train, to put my mind to the task and work as hard as I can with this amazing team.

And this is my last race here at the British Grand Prix with this team. So I wanted to win this so much for them because I love them. I appreciate them so much, all the hard work they've been putting in all of these years. I'm forever grateful to everyone in the team. Everyone at Mercedes and all our partners.

And then otherwise to all our incredible fans, I could see you lap by lap as I was coming round and there's just no greater feeling as to finish at the front here.

SNELL: Congratulations to Lewis Hamilton.

Well, as far as the driver standing we can now see it's still Verstappen leading the way. But this weekend belongs to that man Hamilton who ended up 2.3 seconds clear of the Dutchman in the end.

Well, Hamilton also with his first win since the Saudi Arabian grand prix in 2021. And there's more. His ninth victory at Silverstone also breaking a tie with the great Michael Schumacher for most wins at one single track.

This also a record-extending 104th Formula One win for Lewis Hamilton. Just an amazing accomplishment for the Mercedes man as he heads to Ferrari for next season.

With that, it' s right back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HOLMES: Our thanks to Patrick Snell.

Now, the world's second rank female tennis player is out of Wimbledon. American Coco Gauff lost to another American, Emma Navarro in straight sets on Sunday. Navarro is the 19th seed at Wimbledon.

Gauff won the 2023 U.S. Open, but has never made it past the fourth round at Wimbledon. Navarro will next play the Italian Jasmine Paolini in the quarter-finals on Tuesday.

And Angel Reese, the Chicago Sky's contender for Rookie of the Year, kept up her remarkable run with a 13th consecutive double-double on Sunday, surpassing the WNBA's previous record holder Candace Parker who had 12 double-doubles in a row. Nine of them in a single season.

Reese scored 17 points, 14 rebounds, and three enforce (INAUDIBLE) for good measure. Chicago though lost the game 84 to 71 to the Seattle Storm.

Thanks for spending part of your day with me watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Michael Holmes.

I will be back with another hour of the top stories after this break.

[01:57:18]

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