European parliament elections are a collection of national contests. They often matter more domestically than they do in Brussels or Strasbourg, given the diffuse nature of power and decision-making in the EU.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron proved the point in spectacular fashion on Sunday night, stunning his country and the rest of Europe when he announced snap elections for the National Assembly in just three weeks’ time, with a second round vote on July 7.
Macron was responding to the resounding victory of Marine Le Pen’s far-right Rassemblement National in Sunday’s European parliament poll. The RN won 31.5 per cent of the vote, more than double Macron’s centrist alliance. By calling national elections, Macron looks like he wants to block Le Pen’s path to the presidency in 2027, forcing the French people to decide whether they really want the RN in power.