French President Emmanuel Macron has dissolved the lower house of Parliament and called for new general elections after a significant defeat in the European elections. The elections, scheduled for June 30 and July 7, come after Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party won approximately 31-32% of the vote, significantly ahead of Macron’s centrist Renaissance party, which garnered around 15%.
The decision was announced following early projections indicating a strong shift towards far-right parties in France. Marine Le Pen’s party, led by Jordan Bardella, advocates for restricted migration and scaled-back EU climate rules. The parliamentary elections will determine France's direction as Macron's tenure appears vulnerable.
Elsewhere in Europe, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) saw its vote share increase to 16.5% from 11% in 2019, surpassing Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SDU), which fell to 14%. Similarly, Austria’s Freedom Party (FPOe) led the vote count with 27%.
The center-right European People's Party (EPP) is projected to gain a few seats, while the center-left Socialists and Greens are expected to lose seats amid growing support for far-right parties across the EU. The final composition of the 720-member European Parliament will influence key policies and legislative decisions in the bloc.