Debacle in EU elections

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Immediately after the debacle of his allies in the EU elections, French President Macron called new elections on TV.(Bild: AFP/Ludovic Marin)

A bombshell on the day of the EU elections in France: President Emmanuel Macron has unexpectedly called new elections!

According to projections, Marine Le Pen's far-right party Rassemblement National (RN) became the strongest force in the EU elections. It achieved between 31.5 and 33.3 percent, while Macron's allies were only predicted to win around 15 percent. The Socialists landed at 14 percent.

Following the announcement of the initial figures, RN lead candidate Jordan Bardella called for new elections and a change of course in the EU. The result was a "crushing defeat" for Macron, who was now a "weakened president". A short time later, he pulled the ripcord and announced new elections.