Marine Le Pen, a right-wing political party, said her party was ‘ready to take power’ after Emmanuel Macron called for a snap poll following a landslide defeat in the European elections.
Macron dissolved the French parliament and announced the vote after a big swing to the Right during the country’s European Union elections.
The president suffered a humiliating defeat after Le Pen’s National Rally party won 31.5% of the vote.
It came at a night where many other blocs saw similarly dramatic swings to the right, with major disruptions witnessed in Belgium, Germany and Austria.
Despite this, the head of the European Commission Ursula von Der Leyen boldly declared that ‘the center is holding’, but warned that ‘the world around us is in turmoil.’
French President Emmanuel Macron (pictured) has called a snap election because of a big swing to the right during the country’s EU elections.
Marine Le Pen, a right-wing political party, says her party is ‘ready to take power’
French far-right National Rally supporters react at the party’s election night headquarters after French President Emanuel Macron announced he was dissolving the National Assembly
One woman was seen enjoying a drink as Macron called for a snap election
Macron’s Renaissance Party suffered the worst defeat for a party in French government, taking just 15.2% of the French vote.
He dissolved the French parliament and called elections after a blowout, announcing the first round would take place on June 30, while the second would take place on July 7.
He said, after the announcement: ‘France needs a clear majority in calm and harmony. Being French, at heart, is about choosing to write history, not being driven by it.’
Supporters of the far-right National Rally party appeared to be celebrating the dissolution of the French parliament, boosted by their success in the EU elections.
Le Pen told her party supporters: ‘We are ready to take power if France shows confidence in us.’
The EU elections, which have been held across the continent for the past three days, are the first since Brexit, the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
On top of this, many voters have been affected by the cost of living, have concerns about migration and the cost of the green transition and are disturbed by geopolitical tensions, including the war in Ukraine, and hard-line and right-wing parties have seized on this. and give voters an alternative.
It is not only French citizens who are seduced by the right.
Belgium’s angered nationalist party that claimed a landslide victory, prime minister Alexander DeCroo, resigned.
The liberal party, Flemish Liberals and Democrats, also known as Open VLD, got only six percent of the vote, 90% already counted, in the European Union elections.
Although polls predicted that the far-right, anti-immigration Vlaams Belang party would become the main political force in the country of 11.5 million people, the right-wing nationalist New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) remained in first place, as expected. 22% of the vote, according to provisional results provided by the Ministry of the Interior.
Vlaams Belang is in second place, with a share of 17.5%, in front of the Voruit Sosialis party, which received around 10.5% of the vote.
In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SDU) is expected to come in third, taking just 14% of the vote, the lowest for any party according to German broadcasters polling.
Meanwhile, a far-right party in Germany is predicted to take the lead.
Many voters are affected by the cost of living, have concerns about migration and the costs of the green transition and are troubled by geopolitical tensions.
The EU elections, which have been held across the continent for the past three days, are the first since Brexit, the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The conservative alliance of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) took 29.5% of the vote.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), took second place, with 16.5% of the vote – an increase of 5.5% compared to the 2019 EU elections.
Similar results were seen in exit polls from Austria, with the far-right FPOe party leading the vote count.
If confirmed, it will be the first time the group has topped a national election in the Alpine country.
The Freedom Party (FPOe) won 27 percent of the vote, ahead of the conservative People’s Party (OeVP), according to a poll released by the country’s main media.
Despite the big swing to the right, Ursula von der Leyen stated: ‘First of all, there is still a majority in the center for a strong Europe, and this is important for stability. In other words, the middle holds.
“But it is also true that the extremes on the left and the right have gained support, and as a result there is a great responsibility for the parties in the center.
‘We may differ on individual points, but we all have an interest in stability, and we all want a strong and effective Europe.’
The EU Parliament, which will consist of 720 seats after the elections are over, is made up of multi-party factions.
While centre-left and centre-right factions have largely dominated the bloc’s parliament since the last election in 2019, these parties are set to lose most of their seats as more Europeans turn to more extreme parties hoping to solve their problems. EU.
A projection by pollster Europe Elects on Sunday showed the center-right European People’s Party (EPP) could gain only five seats compared to the last parliament which won a total of 183. The Socialist Party, which includes the party of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, looks set to lose. four seats got 136.
In Germany, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SDU) (pictured) is expected to come third, taking just 14% of the vote.
The EU Parliament, which will consist of 720 seats after the elections are over, is made up of multi-party factions.
In contrast, the poll said the national conservative European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) would gain five more seats for a total of 73 and the far-right Identity and Democracy (ID) group could gain eight more seats for a total of 67.
More deputies may join the far-right and far-right groups than among the unaffiliated deputies so far, which will be 79, the poll said.
Meanwhile, the European Greens, facing a backlash from households, farmers and industry oppressed by costly EU policies that limit CO2 emissions, appeared to be one of the losers with a poll on Sunday, giving only 56 representatives, a loss of 15.
The forecast for the liberal group Renew Europe is also bleak, given hopes that Marine Le Pen’s far-right Rassemblement National will defeat French President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Renaissance in France.
Sunday’s opinion poll resulted in the loss of the Anyarake group in 13 seats, the forecast would be 89.
The European Parliament will release the EU exit poll at around 19:30 BST and then the first provisional results after 10pm when the final vote, in Italy, has been made.
