French President Emmanuel Macron has called a snap parliamentary election, after the far-right National Rally won the European election in France
Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo says she's "stunned" by the decision to call the vote so close to the Olympic Games
The election will take place on 30 June and 7 July - the Games start in Paris on 26 July
In the election, the National Rally won more than double the votes of Macron's centrist alliance
Elsewhere in the European elections, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said "the centre is holding"
But far-right parties made gains in Italy, Austria and Germany
In other election news, an Italian under house arrest in Hungary has been elected as an MEP, as has a 24-year-old YouTube prankster in Cyprus
As we've reported, French President Emmanuel Macron reacted to the European election results by dissolving parliament and calling an election.
But - despite opposition parties dominating the European election in Germany - a similar move will not happen there.
"Not for one second was there any indication that new elections would take place," the spokesperson for the governing coalition says.
Image source, EPAAs we reported earlier, the far-right Brothers of Italy - the party of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni - won a clear victory in the European elections.
The group took 28.8% of the vote - ahead of the social democratic Partito Democratico on 24%.
The result comes just days before Meloni hosts G7 leaders in Puglia.
"I am proud that Italy will present itself to the G7, to Europe, with the strongest government of all,” she said this morning.
Quote MessageThis is something that has not happened in the past but is happening today, it is a satisfaction and also a great responsibility."
Damien McGuinness
Germany correspondent in Berlin
The pictures tell it all. Today’s German newspapers are full of sad Social Democrats and glum Greens. Both ruling parties took a beating, as did the third coalition partner the free-market liberals. Why?
This unusual three-way coalition was always a tricky alliance, with the liberal FDP pushing to slash spending and taxes, while the Greens and Chancellor Olaf Scholz's social democrat SPD wanted to boost spending on the environment and welfare.
But Russia’s full invasion meant all three parties had to throw old convictions over board, breaking economic and energy ties with Russia and renouncing former pacifist feelings.
This has rattled many voters, alienated some core supporters and creating rifts within each party. A huge surge in migration has also put strain on the resources of local councils.
The government has remarkably managed to boost military spending, pivot away from cheaper Russian energy and investment massively in green infrastructure. But that means money is tight and the coalition is no longer able to paper over ideological differences with cash giveaways.
Step in the populist far-right and far-left, who promise a quick return to peace and prosperity: "Just negotiate with Putin, and buy Russian gas again," says the far-right AfD.
"We want to end the war so just stop sending arms to Ukraine and stop migrants coming," says the new populist far-left party BSW led by ex-communist firebrand Sahra Wagenknecht.
Most German voters and politicians believe dealing with Moscow and migration is not that straightforward, and a majority in Germany support Ukraine.
But in times of insecurity and uncertainty, simple messages are seductive.
Aoife Moore
Reporting from Dublin
Image source, PA MediaSinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald speaking in Dublin yesterday
In Ireland - which had local and European elections - the more things change, the more things stay the same.
The current government party Fine Gael are now the largest party in local government, taking over from their partners in government Fianna Fáil.
As counting continues, the big story is the success of independent candidates. Non-party representatives from all stripes have swept the boards, in both rural and urban areas.
In the European vote, a similar story has emerged. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, both centrist parties, are likely to be the first announced MEPs to return to Brussels.
Sinn Fein - who were at one point tipped to shake up the Irish political scene - have failed in their bid to take over local councils but may return to Europe with one MEP.
Support for Sinn Fein has plummeted as the party has struggled to confirm their stance on immigration and housing for asylum seekers.
Their leader, Mary Lou McDonald, said “lessons will be learned” from the experience. This is her second disappointing local and European election since taking over from Gerry Adams.
Image source, EPAChancellor Olaf Scholz voting in Potsdam on Sunday
Let's turn now to Germany, where the opposition conservative CDU party took 30%, the far-right Alternative für Deutschland took 15.9%, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's social democratic SPD came third with 13.9%.
Nils Schmid - the SPD's parliamentary spokesperson for foreign affairs - spoke to our colleagues on Radio 4's Today programme earlier.
He says the recent fatal stabbing of a policeman in Mannheim "carried immigration and domestic security matters to the core of the campaign".
He also accepts "lots of policy failures and difficulties on compromises on very important issues such as the budget".
But, he says, the "impact of these results on national politics will be very limited".
"To be frank most of the German politicians had already expected the coalition parties to lose seats," he says.
Mitch Labiak
Live business reporter
The euro is weaker against the dollar and the pound this morning as currency traders digest the news from European elections.
As a general rule, people in finance dislike uncertainty - for example, President Macron’s decision to call a snap election.
This morning, the euro was valued at less than 85p after being higher than that for most of last week and less than $1.08 after being closer to $1.09 for most of last week.
The movements don’t sound like much, but small changes can reveal a lot about how people in economic markets feel.
And - as we reported earlier - this is playing out in the stock market too, with the big stocks on all of the main European markets down this morning.
This chart shows how the Euro fell against the pound in early trading
Image source, Getty ImagesMireille Clapot speaking at the National Assembly in Paris in May 2020
Mireille Clapot was (until President Macron dissolved the parliament) a member of the Franch assembly for President Macron's Renaissance party
She tells our colleagues on Radio 4's Today programme that that Macron “took a huge risk” with his decision to go for snap elections.
She also thinks there is no possibility that National Rally - who decisively won the European vote - can get a majority in the parliamentary election.
“Still in this situation it is a very very high risk," she says. "Not only for us but it is a risk for democracy in France."
Heading back to France - the Paris stock market fell sharply on Monday after President Macron called snap parliamentary elections.
The Paris CAC 40, which tracks the market's 40 most significant stocks, fell 2.4% when it opened.
Elsewhere in Europe, the Frankfurt DAX and the pan-European Stoxx 600 both fell 0.7%.
It's important to remember that stock markets often see volatility after political shocks - and may stabilise in the coming hours and days.
Adam Easton
Reporting from Warsaw
Image source, ReuterBefore becoming Polish prime minister, Donald Trusk was president of the European Council from 2014 to 2019
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s centrist Civic Coalition (KO) group narrowly won the European Parliament election according to the state electoral commission.
With 100% of the ballots counted, KO won 37.06% of the vote, ahead of the right-wing opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party on 36.16%.
The far-right Confederation party came third with 12.08%, up from 4.55% in 2019. According to an exit poll, Confederation was the most popular party among 18–29-year-olds.
Tusk’s victory breaks a run of nine consecutive election victories by PiS.
Nick Thorpe
Reporting from Budapest
Image source, EPAViktor Orban has been Hungarian prime minister since 2010
In Hungary, Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party won both the European and municipal elections.
But the real victory of the night went to Peter Magyar, a 43-year-old lawyer whose Tisza party replaced the old opposition.
Fidesz got 44% and Tisza 30%. Tisza was created just three months ago as a new centre-right party. They will have 7 MEPs, to 11 for Fidesz, and will apply to join the European People's Party grouping in the European Parliament.
"We defeated the old and the new opposition," Viktor Orban consoled his supporters.
But in practice the political system he built, in which Fidesz acts as a "central force field" in which several other small, ineffective parties have to operate, is over.
Image source, EPAIt was another good night for Italy's prime minister Giorgia Meloni
We've been focusing on the far right winning France's European election - but as this graphic shows, that wasn't replicated across the entire European Union.
We'll have more country-by-country analysis throughout the morning.
Image source, .
Image source, EPAJordan Bardella, speaking last night
As a reminder, President Emmanuel Macron has called elections for the French assembly - meaning a new prime minister will be elected.
This morning, the vice-president of the far-right National Rally says the party's 28-year-old leader, Jordan Bardella, would be its contender for prime minister if it won a majority.
"Jordan Bardella is our candidate" for the prime minister's office, Sebastien Chenu confirms to RTL radio.
We'll have a profile on Bardella later this morning.
Here's Emmanuel Macron announcing the snap election last night - he said far-right parties are "progressing across the continent".
Emmanuel Macron calls snap elections in wake of EU election results
Meanwhile, the President of the European Parliament - Roberta Metsola, from the centre-right EPP grouping - told the BBC the "pro-European constructive centre has held".
European Parliament president says results send a message on green policies
As a sign of how Macron's decision was received in France, here's the front page of Monday morning's Liberation newspaper., external
With a picture of Macron alongside the National Rally's Jordan Bardella, it says the president has hade a "pari extreme" - an extreme gamble, or bet.
Image source, Liberation
Image source, EPANational Rally parliamentary party leader Marine Le Pen delivers with president Jordan Bardella last night
Here is an overview of the results in France - turnout was around 52%. As a reminder, the vote was to elect members of the European Parliament.
The morning after calling the election, Emmanuel Macron has written on X / Twitter that "I have confidence in the ability of the French people to make the fairest choice for themselves and for future generations."
"My only ambition is to be useful to our country that I love so much," he adds.
Hugh Schofield
Reporting from Paris
Calling a snap election is a huge surprise for the country, and a huge risk for President Macron.
He could have reacted differently. He could have just kept going, explaining the far right’s massive victory as a European aberration which would be corrected at more important elections.
He could have trusted to the impending European football championship in Germany and above all the Paris Olympics to keep people’s minds off politics for a couple of months.
That was certainly how the Paris commentariat thought he would take his party’s rout.
But one can only assume the president had seen this coming, and planned his response in advance.
Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella were already celebrating a big victory before Macron's announcement. Certainly the result was an almost exact replica of the polls, so he would have had plenty of time to consider his options.
The fact is that he is stuck.
Without a majority, getting any bill through the National Assembly is already a struggle. With most of the country now so clearly against him, any new legislation – for example the upcoming budget – could have proved explosive.
So he has plumped for "clarity". If National Rally has the votes then, he says, they should be given the chance to govern.
Image source, EPAEmmanuel Macron, announcing the snap election on Sunday
Good morning from London, as we restart our live coverage.
It was a busy night of European election results, capped with Emmanuel Macron's surprise decision to call early parliamentary elections in France.
That decision came after the far right surged in France's European vote - the National Rally won more than double the votes of Macron's centrist alliance.
Stay with us for the news, results, and analysis from our team across Europe.
We'll be pausing this live coverage of the results from the European elections now, thanks for joining us.
If you'd like to read a detailed look at the results following a significant night in EU politics, click here.
The BBC's Paris correspondent Hugh Schofield has taken a look at French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to call snap domestic elections, following his thumping defeat at the hands of Marine Le Pen's National Rally.
Plus, Europe editor Katya Adler has written some initial analysis of what these elections may mean for the continent.