Macron calls snap election after Renaissance's defeat by far-right party in EU elections

France's President Emmanuel Macron has dissolved the country's parliament, the National Assembly, and called a snap election after an exit poll of the European Union elections showed he was trounced by Marine Le Pen's far-right party on Sunday (June 9).

After initial projections, the far-right National Rally (RN) party, led by 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, came out on top with 31.5% of the vote, more than double the share of Macron's Renaissance, which scraped into second place with 15.2% of the vote, just ahead of the Socialists in third with 14.3% of the vote.

Bardella referred to Macron's split between the two parties as a "stinging disavowal" for the president and demanded that he dissolve the French parliament in a jubilant statement following the release of the poll.

Macron made a national address, announcing he would dissolve the French lower house and hold parliamentary elections.

The first round will be held on June 30, with a second round on July 7, according to the president. If Le Pen's National Rally (RN) party wins a parliamentary majority, Macron would face the threat of losing his voice in domestic affairs.