Mr Macron “played the game” of Mrs Le Pen’s Rassemblement National (RN) and lost, angry French Yellow Vest protesters claimed following the ruling party’s defeat at the European elections. Mr Macron’s party, La Republique En Marche, failed to gain the majority of the French votes as it obtained 22.4 percent against the RN’s 23.3 percent. This humiliating defeat came because the French President didn’t listen to the discontent of the French, many Yellow Vests complained.
Patrick, 61, told French daily Le Monde as the results were being announced: “It’s Macron who played the RN game.”
The Yellow Vest movement took French politics by storm in November last year, when hundreds of thousands of protesters took their outrage about a planned fuel tax hike to the streets.
But their protests eventually evolved to include discontent regarding Mr Macron’s stringent finance policies, with many demanding the French President’s resignations.
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For months, the demonstrators stormed Paris and other French cities, blocking streets and even damaging iconic landmarks like the Arc De Triomphe.
However, some Yellow Vests said they aren’t happy with the European elections result.
Caterina, 58, said: “Either RN or LRM, we knew we were going to cry.”
Olivier, 41, added: “Seeing working-class cities like ours voting RN is something we can not be satisfied with.”
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The movement has always claimed to be apolitical.
As the ballots were still be counted, Mrs Le Pen called for Mr Macron to dissolve the French Parliament.
She said: “The President has no other choice but to dissolve the National Assembly and allow for a more democratic voting system in order to better represent this country’s majority political opinion.
“The fading of the traditional parties and the polarisation between the National Rally party and Emmanuel Macron’s party confirms that the political scene is now split between nationalists and globalists and that’s what dominates our political life.”
Mrs Le Pen’s stark criticism for Mr Macron was echoed by her lead candidate in the European elections, Jordan Bardella.
He said: “The French people have clearly punished the president tonight, and taught him a lesson in humility.
“Tonight, it’s him and his policies who have been rejected.”
RN came out the strongest French party in Europe also after the 2014 European elections, when it gained 24.84 percent of the seats.
Mr Macron’s party, founded in 2016, didn’t take part in that race.
(Additional reporting by Maria Ortega)