French President Emmanuel Macron has called a snap election after his party suffered calamitous results in EU elections – while in Belgium, poor general election results have led to its prime minister pledging his resignation.

Marine Le Pen’s hard right National Rally party won about 32% of the European Parliament vote in France – a 10 point increase on the last election in 2019.

It is more than double the less than 15% taken by Mr Macron’s centrist, pro-European Renaissance party, according to exit polls.

Mr Macron said he could not “pretend nothing had happened” and admitted the EU election was “no good” for his government.

The “rise of nationalists” is a danger to France and to Europe, he said.

Mr Macron is a “weakened president” said Jordan Bardella, National Rally’s lead candidate.

Across the border in Belgium, Alexander De Croo’s liberal party took less than 7% of the vote in the general election.

“This is a very difficult evening for us – we have lost,” Mr De Croo said yesterday.

“From tomorrow I will be the outgoing prime minister. But we liberals are strong, and we will be back.”

Mr Macron said France ‘needs a clear majority’ as he announced the snap election. Pic: Reuters

Meanwhile in Germany, Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats were also dealt a blow by voters as the scandal-hit Alternative for Germany party (AfD) leap-frogged them into second place.

Speaking at the Elysee Palace, Mr Macron said: “I’ve decided to give you back the choice of our parliamentary future through the vote.

“I am therefore dissolving the National Assembly.”

There will be two rounds of voting on 30 June and 7 July, he added.

“I have heard your message, your concerns, and I will not leave them unanswered,” Mr Macron said.

“France needs a clear majority in order to act with serenity and harmony.”

Source: Skynews