Macron calls snap elections for June 30 after EU vote defeat

President Emmanuel Macron has dissolved the country's parliament, as well as the National Assembly, calling for snap elections after exit polls showcased his party's heavy loss in European parliamentary elections on Sunday.

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Preliminary estimates showed that the far-right National Rally (RN) party won 31.5 per cent of the vote, more than double the share of Macron's Renaissance Party, which barely managed to secure second place with 15.2 per cent of the vote, ahead of the Socialists in third place with 14.3 per cent.

The leader of the RN, Jordan Bardella, called on Macron to dissolve the French parliament in a celebratory speech following the release of the exit poll.

"This unprecedented defeat for the current government marks the end of a cycle, and Day 1 of the post-Macron era," Bardella said.