Right-wing populist Marine Le Pen has expressed a readiness to take power in France, in view of the snap elections triggered by the National Rally's overwhelming victory in Sunday's European Parliament polls.
"We are ready to exercise power if the French people place their trust in us in these upcoming parliamentary elections," Le Pen said in Paris on Sunday evening.
"We are ready to rebuild the country, ready to defend the interests of the French, ready to put an end to this mass migration, ready to make the purchasing power of the French a priority, ready to start re-industrializing the country," Le Pen said.
"In plain language: we are ready to rebuild the country, ready to revitalize France," she asserted.
According to the latest projections, the National Rally received 31.5 to 32% in the European elections, while President Emmanuel Macron's centrist bloc received 14.7 to 14.9% and the Socialists received 14% to 14.2%.
"The message of tonight, including the dissolution [of the French parliament], is also addressed to the leadership in Brussels," said Le Pen. She said the large victory of what she called "patriotic movements" was in line with a historic development that was leading to the resurgence of nations all around the world.
"We are seeing the dawn of a new day for all the nations and peoples of Europe," she added.