Far-right leader wants EU election to ‘beat’ Macron

France’s far-right National Rally party launched its campaign Sunday for this year’s European Parliament election, which it and other nationalist, antiimmigration movements hope to dominate.

During a speech in Paris, party leader Marine Le Pen urged voters to seize the May 26 vote as a chance to “beat” French President Emmanuel Macron after weeks of anti-government protests.

“The moment of the big political changeover has come,” Le Pen said of the hoped-for wins by nationalist movements like hers.

“What we propose is a quiet transition from the European Union to the European alliance of nations...that will allow us to reconquer our border control, our legislative, budget and monetary sovereignty”, she said.

French voters will fill 79 of the European Union legislature’s 705 seats. Le Pen’s party placed first in France during the 2014 election and has a good chance to do the same this year.

National Rally’s campaign slogan was unveiled in giant letters at Sunday’s meeting: “We’re coming.”

Le Pen suggested the yellow vest protests against Macron’s economic policies during the last two months could help her populist party at the ballot box. The movement started to oppose fuel tax increases but expanded to challenge government policies seen as favouring the wealthy.