'We all have to mobilise' Advance of far right leaves left in shock

'Everyone is in total shock," said Baptiste Lopata, a radiologist, sitting in his trade union office in the small northern French town of Soissons. "Now we've all got to mobilise against the far right."

- Angelique Chrisafis

When Marine Le Pen's anti-immigration, far-right National Rally (RN) won a historic victory in the European elections on Sunday night, its highest scores were here, in the north-eastern département of L'Aisne, where it won over 50%, and even 60% in some rural villages, compared to a 31% score nationally.

The far right's success was expected in this heartland area which is ageing, underpopulated, has higher than average unemployment and poverty, and a history of factory closures. Instead, the real shock was Emmanuel Macron's decision to dissolve parliament and call a snap election.

Two years ago, Lopata's area of Soissons elected a National Rally member of parliament, José Beaurain, a piano-tuner who was the national assembly's first blind MP since the war.

Residents now feel that a snap election with the far right on an upwards trend, could see the party increase from its current 88 seats to more than 200.

The result of the three-week election race is hard to predict. It could result in another hung parliament. But if the RN reached a 289-seat majority, Le Pen's popular 28-year-old protegé Jordan Bardella would end up as prime minister with Macron remaining president for three more years, continuing to be in charge of defence and foreign policy, namely France's relationship with Nato and backing of Ukraine.

"We're going to insist on standing together against the farright. I think young people will vote massively, unlike in the European elections, because they know what's at stake," said Lopata.