It was very possible the worst Sunday evening of Emmanuel MacronThe current president of France, nicknamed "Jupiter" after the chief of the Roman deities for his top-down manner of governance.'s life. 

Last night the polls closed on the first round of France's parliamentary electionAn election in which voters choose, by voting for, the members of a parliament..¹ In the highest turnout in 40 years, the far-rightA range of ideologies that emphasise social order, racial purity and the elimination of opponents. party National Rally (RN) is believed to have won 34% of the popular vote, while President Macron's centristOccupying a position on the political spectrum between left and right. Renaissance party alliance secured an estimated 20.3%, putting them in third place, behind the left-wing alliance the New Popular Front.

Macron called the snap vote after his party's atrocious performance in last month's EUEuropean Union. An economic and political union of 27 countries. elections. There will be a second round on Sunday 7 July. When the dust settles, France will probably have a new prime minister.

That prime minister is likely to be Jordan Bardella, the young president of the RN. Bardella has shot from being relatively unknown, to one of the most influential men in Europe. The French government could soon be run by a far-right party; this could amount to a new French RevolutionThe overthrow (and subsequent execution) of France's king and aristocratic government in 1789. The revolution became infamous and influential worldwide..

"Democracy has spoken," said RN's leader Marine Le Pen, while Macron said the time had come for the formation of a "broad, clearly democratic and republican alliance" for the second round of voting.

France has a president and a prime minister. The president is the head of stateThe public person who officially represents the unity and legitimacy of a state. and controls foreign policy.² The prime minister is appointed from France's Parliament, which runs the day-to-day business of the government. If Bardella becomes prime minister, he will have to work alongside Macron.

Bardella does not fit the typical political profile. He comes from a working class background in Paris's multicultural suburbs.³ He is just 28.⁴ He dropped out of university. He has no governing experience. He joined the RN aged 16 and has worked there since he was 19.

The RN was founded as the National Front in 1972, by Jean-Marie Le Pen, Marine's father, an anti-semiteSomeone who is hostile to or prejudiced against Jewish people.  who has been convicted of hate speechThe expression of hate towards someone because of race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. 15 times.⁵ It once seemed unelectable. But under Le Pen's daughter Marine, the party has managed to detoxify its image. Bardella is her prize weapon.⁶

Bardella depicts himself as less threatening than previous far-right leaders. He calls himself a "candidate of reason in the face of extremes". In a televised debate during the EU elections, he spoke several phrases identical to those used by Macron in previous contests against the RN.

He is selling himself as the man to bring down the cost of living. In a debate last week, he said: "Opening your bills is a source of anxiety for millions of French people who are no longer able to make a living from their work." Yet he has attracted business by clipping the RN's spending plans and policies to ease living costs.

Bardella has charmed some groups who have previously rejected the RN, including graduates, pensioners and the young. He has also become a TikTok sensation, with sharp suits, a well-trained smile and a calm demeanour. Young fans scream "Jordan!" when he appears.

Some think this is all spinIn a political sense, spin is a form of propaganda achieved through knowingly providing a biased interpretation of an event, or campaigning to influence public opinion about some organisation or public figure.. Bardella has many extreme positions. He has spoken of France being "submerged by migrants" and vowed to fight a "cultural battle" against Islam.⁸ He wants to end birthright citizenshipA person born in a country has the right to citizenship of that country - whatever nationality their parents might be. for children to foreign parents.

He also wants to cut France's contributions to the EU budget by €2bn.⁹ Commentator Jean-Yves Camus says the RN wants "to unravel the EU from the inside". Macron is an EU cheerleader. If the two are forced to govern together, sparks will fly. France may never be the same again.

Is this a second French revolution? 

Yes: A victory for the far-right in France would have world-shaking consequences. Europe's big cheerleader would turn against the EU. Macron has even claimed it would cause "civil war".

No: It is all part of Macron's masterplan. Prime Minister Bardella will have to make tough decisions. His popularity will plunge. And Macron's centrist wing can swoop in to clear up their mess.

Or... A Macron-Bardella France would be a strange hybrid, with both sides checking the other. But if Marine Le Pen becomes president in 2027 with Bardella as PM, a new, nationalist France may follow.