French President Emmanuel Macron has decided to dissolve parliament, announcing new elections in two rounds on June 30 and July 7, following his party's defeat in EU elections on Sunday.
The challenges faced by France required clarity and the people deserved respect, he said. "At the end of this day, therefore, I cannot pretend that nothing has happened," he added.
"The decision is serious and difficult, but it is above all an act of trust, trust in you, my dear compatriots," the president added.
The far-right National Rally in France is set to beat Macron's Renaissance by a wide margin in the country's European Parliament elections, according to broadcasters' projections after voting had ended.
The National Rally, whose figurehead is Marine Le Pen, received 31.5 to 32.3% of the vote, while Macron's pro-European camp only received around 15.2 to 15.4%, broadcasters France 2 and TF1 reported on Sunday after the polls closed.
Sunday's voting also sets the scene for presidential elections in 2027.