French President Emmanuel Macron called on Sunday for new parliamentary elections after his camp heavily lost to the far-right National Rally party in the country's EU election.
Marion Marechal, a political ally of Eric Zemmour and his far-right Reconquete party on Sunday said she was prepared to meet with Marine Le Pen, Jordan Bardella and other leaders of France's right-wing bloc to explore options for collaboration.
Macron set off a political earthquake on Sunday when he called shock legislative elections for later this month after he was trounced in the European Union vote by Marine Le Pen's far-right party.
In a sign Zemmour's party, which was set to score about 5% in the EU election, could reach out to its much larger rival National Rally, Marechal, also the niece of Marine Le Pen, said "a right-wing coalition to me seems more necessary than ever."
Macron said the EU result was grim for his government, and one he could not ignore. In an address to the nation, less than two months before Paris hosts the Olympics, he said lower house elections would be called for June 30, with a second-round vote on July 7.
"This is an essential time for clarification," Macron said. "I have heard your message, your concerns and I will not leave them unanswered ... France needs a clear majority to act in serenity and harmony."
Led by telegenic 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, the RN won about 32% of the vote in Sunday's vote, more than double the Macron ticket's 15%, according to the first exit polls. The Socialists came within a whisker of Macron, with 14%.
Le Pen, widely seen as the frontrunner for the 2027 election in which Macron is unable to stand, welcomed his decision.
"We are ready to take over power if the French give us their trust in the upcoming national elections," she said at a rally.
Macron's Renaissance party currently has 169 lower house lawmakers, out of a total of 577. The RN has 88.
If the RN wins a majority, Macron would still direct defense and foreign policy, but would lose the power to set the domestic agenda, from economic policy to security.
"Emmanuel Macron is a poker player, we've seen that tonight," said Green Party lawmaker Sandrine Rousseau.
How does this impact European Parliament elections?
Macron's decision to dissolve the French parliament and hold new elections after bad results in the European Parliament elections is not a subject of talks at European party Renew Europe, its vice president Iskra Mihaylova said.
The Renew Europe party shrunk in preliminary EU election results, as Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National trounced Macron's Renaissance party.