French President Emmanuel Macron calls snap general election

ITV News reporter Sam Holder on how Macron 'shocked the continent'

French President Emmanuel Macron has dissolved the National Assembly and called new parliamentary elections after a defeat in a European vote.

In an address to the nation from the Elysee presidential palace, 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.”

The vote will take place in two rounds on June 30 and July 7, he said.

ITV News Political Editor Robert Peston said: "This is remarkable. President Macron is taking the huge political risk of dissolving the French Parliament and calling a general election because he wishes to challenge the rise of the “far right” Rassemblement National, and settle the debate about his country’s political future.

"It is quite literally the opposite of what is happening in the UK, where it is Farage who chose to take the fight to Sunak rather than vice versa."

The move comes as first projected results from France on Sunday put the far-right National Rally party well ahead in the European Union’s parliamentary election, defeating Macron’s pro-European centrists, according to French opinion poll institutes.

Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigration, nationalist party is estimated to get around 31-32% of the vote, more than twice the score of President Macron’s pro-European centrist party that is projected to reach around 15%.

France is electing 81 members of the European Parliament.

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