Marine Le Pen's far-right Front
National (FN) was poised to come first in France, as Euroskeptic
parties posted strong showings in many countries in Sunday's
European elections.
Eurosceptics also came first in Denmark, the UKIP was
contending for first place in Britain and in Greece the
left-wing Syriza party, who are staunchly critical of European
Union austerity, were the most popular party.
"The inevitability of European integration ends tonight,"
said UKIP leader Nigel Farage.
French President Francois Hollande called an emergency
meeting for Monday at 8.30 with Prime Minister Manuel Valls and
other ministers after preliminary results suggested his
Socialist party was set to come third with under 14% of the
vote, compared to around 26% for the FN.
The opposition centre-right UMP looked set to come second
with around 20% of the vote.
Valls admitted the result was a political "earthquake",
while Le Pen called on the beleaguered Hollande to dissolve
parliament so that new national elections could be held in the
light of the outcome.
"What else can the president do after such a rejection?"
she said.
"It is unacceptable that the national assembly should be
so unrepresentative of the French people".
The centre-right European People's Party (EPP) is set to be
the biggest group in the new European Parliament, according to
projections based on provisional results released by the
parliament itself.
The EPP is projected to have 212 seats in the parliament,
compared to 185 for the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and
Democrats (S&D), with the Liberal Democrat ALDE party set to
come third with around 71 seats.
Jean-Claude Juncker, the EPP's candidate to be the next
European Commission President, said the projected outcome showed
he should replace José Manuel Barroso, although his group will
probably not have an absolute majority in the parliament.
"I want to the president of the next Commission because the
EPP won," Juncker said.
"I won't go on my knees to the Socialists because we are
the number-one party.
"But we have to make comprises. I'd like to extend the
majority to the Greens and the Liberals, but I won't ever go
with the Far Right".
Socialist candidate Martin Schulz, however, said he had not
abandoned his ambitions of taking the helm of the EC.
"If Juncker's party comes first, he'll have the right to
try to form a majority," said Schulz, the current speaker of the
European Parliament.
"If he wants to talk to us, he's welcome to. I'll take the
initiative too to try to form a majority.
"I say enough of strategy based on mathematical
calculations. It's time to start with political calculations".
Turnout in the election was 43.1%, according to provisional
European Parliament figures - up on last time.
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