The far-right National Rally is predicted to win European elections in France with 31.5 percent of the vote – more than double Macron’s liberal Renaissance Party’s 15.2 percent.
The National Rally’s vote eclipsed the vote totals of the second and third largest parties – according to early exit polls, the centre-left Social Democrats earned about 14 percent.
The decision to dissolve the National Assembly was met with disbelief by Macron’s supporters, with many chanting “Damn it” when he addressed a crowd in a televised address from his party headquarters in Paris.
By contrast, boisterous supporters of the National Rally party celebrated after Macron announced the dissolution of parliament, which the party called for as the extent of their victory became clear.
“Dissolution, dissolution!” They sang that. They watched Macron’s speech at an election event soon to be staged by long-time RN leader and prominent Eurosceptic Marine Le Pen.
“I can only welcome this decision in line with the logic and architecture of the Fifth Republic,” Le Pen told ecstatic followers. He said the EU election result should send a message to Brussels and “put an end to this painful era of globalism”.
