Why has Emmanuel Macron called a snap election in France?

French president Emmanuel Macron has called a shock snap election after his party was trounced by the far-right in the European Parliament vote.

Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National, or National Rally party (RN), won 32% of the vote in France, more than twice the 15% secured by Macron's Renaissance party and its allies.

Macron addressed the nation on Sunday evening to announce the dissolution of its parliament and two rounds of voting in the coming weeks, just before Paris hosts the Olympic Games.

His televised address came after National Rally's 28-year-old leader, Jordan Bardella, urged Macron to call parliamentary elections.

The weekend's European Parliament elections could usher in a period of huge political instability in the bloc, as the pattern in France of a surge in the far-right vote was repeated in several other countries.

When is the French snap election?

On Sunday, Macron announced that the French parliament will be dissolved ahead of the general election.

It will be comprised of two rounds of voting, one on 30 June and another on 7 July, less than three weeks before the start of the Olympics in Paris.

Macron, 46, has been president since 2017 and won re-election in 2022, although he cannot stand in the next presidential elections which are due in 2027.

Watch: Emmanuel Macron dissolves France’s National Assembly after poll blow

In his televised address to announce the snap election, he told the nation: "This is an essential time for clarification.

"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."

He said he had "confidence in our democracy" and in "the capacity of the French people to make the best choice for themselves and for future generations".

What were the results of the European Parliament election?

According to provisional results, the centre, liberal and green parties are on course to maintain a majority in the 720-seat European Parliament following the weekend's elections across 27 member states.

An exit poll predicted these pro-European parties would retain a majority of 460 seats.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen insisted "the centre is holding" in the wake of the voting, but far-right parties made significant gains in a number of countries.

France made most of the headlines after National Rally more than doubled the vote of Macron and his allies, by 32% to 15%, while the Socialist party picked up 14%.

In Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) took second place, while chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats scored their worst result ever.

AfD won 16.2% of the vote according to an exit poll, more than all three parties in Scholz's coalition, and more than 14% of his own party.

The conservative alliance of the Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union were the winners, with 30% of the vote.

In Italy, prime minister Giorgia Meloni's right-wing Brothers of Italy group won 28.8% of the vote after 96% of ballots were counted, more than four times what it took in the last European election in 2019. The opposition centre-left Democratic Party was second with 24% of the vote.

Meloni's coalition comprises parties from the centre-right to the far-right.

The far-right party Freedom Party (FPOe) was first in Austria with 25.7% of the vote, ahead of the ruling conservative People's Party on 24.7%.

The FPOe has an anti-immigration platform and is expected to top national elections in September.

In Belgium, prime minister Alexander De Croo announced his resignation after his Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats party suffered defeat.

The European Parliament vote there was split between the far-right party Vlaams Belang, the liberal Mouvement Reformateur and the New Flemish Alliance, which all took home about 13% of the vote.