Far-right party leader Marine Le Pen sealed a definitive victory in the European Parliament elections on Sunday, dealing a heavy blow to French President Emmanuel Macron and positioning herself as the frontrunner for France’s 2027 presidential vote.
According to initial exit polls, Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) party, led by the dynamic 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, received about 32% of the vote, more than double that of Macron’s ticket, which got 15%. The Socialists nearly matched Macron’s tally, securing around 14% of the vote.
Le Pen and Bardella positioned the EU election as a halfway evaluation of Macron’s leadership, tapping into concerns about immigration, crime, and a two-year inflation crisis.
Meanwhile, government officials downplayed the election’s importance, pledging to maintain policy focus and arguing that EU elections are not reliable indicators of presidential voting trends.
Le Pen’s impressive performance marked a 10-point surge compared to the 2019 EU election and is poised to erode Macron’s authority three years before his final term concludes.
The win might also lead to significant defections from Macron’s centrist coalition as the competition to succeed him intensifies.
In his victory speech at the party headquarters, Bardella urged Macron to consider calling for a new legislative election. However, it’s important to note that the president is not obliged to follow this suggestion.