French President Emmanuel Macron has swiftly responded to the significant gains made by Marine Le Pen’s National Rally in the European Parliament vote by announcing snap parliamentary elections later this month.
Exit polls indicate that the far-right party is poised to secure 32% of the vote, more than double the support garnered by President Macron’s Renaissance party.
In a televised address President Macron declared the dissolution of parliament and outlined plans for two rounds of voting on June 30 and July 7, strategically timed just weeks before the Paris Olympics.
The decision, made shortly after the close of voting and the release of exit polls, follows an appeal from National Rally’s 28-year-old leader, Jordan Bardella, urging Macron to call for parliamentary elections.
