France’s Far Right Is Triumphant in European Elections

France’s far right won a commanding victory on Sunday in the country’s elections for the European Parliament, according to projections based on preliminary results, dealing a heavy blow to President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party, which came in a distant second.

The projections, which are generally reliable, gave the National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen and her wildly popular protégé Jordan Bardella, about 31.5 percent of the vote, to about 15.2 percent for Mr. Macron’s Renaissance party. It became the leading party in France by some distance.

The results did not come as a surprise, but they were a blunt disavowal of Mr. Macron, who had repeatedly cast the vote as crucial for the future of a “mortal” European Union that has seen Russia’s invasion of Ukraine bring war to its doorstep. Given France’s important place at the heart of the 27-nation European Union, the result was a significant sign of a strong rightward drift in Europe, driven mainly by concerns over uncontrolled immigration.

“This was a verdict against which there is no appeal,” Mr. Bardella declared. “France has demonstrated its desire for change.” He called Mr. Macron a “weakened” leader and admonished him to take account of the vote by dissolving the National Assembly and calling new legislative elections.

Mr. Macron, who has said he will address the country later Sunday, appears neither inclined nor obligated to do so, even if the scale of his defeat has left him a reduced figure.

After decades on the fringes, it is now clear that the anti-immigrant French far right is firmly ensconced in mainstream politics, with Mr. Bardella, the 28-year-old president of the National Rally party, as its fresh new face. His party won no less than double the vote of Mr. Macron’s.