French President Emmanuel Macron rolled the dice on his political future on Sunday, calling snap legislative elections for later this month after he was trounced in the European Union vote by Marine Le Pen’s far-right party.
In the European Parliament elections in France, based on the preliminary results, Marine Le Pen’s National Unity party took the first place (with 31.50%), and the Besoin d’Europe coalition, which includes Macron’s Renaissance party, took the second place (15.20%).
The first round of the French parliamentary elections will be held on June 30, and the second on July 7.
“France needs a clear majority in peace and harmony. To be French, deep down, is to choose to write history, not to drive it,” Macron said.
Related story: Predictions for the European Parliament elections