EXPERT COMMENT
If his party is severely defeated at the European elections in June, the French president will find it harder than before to shape the EU's agenda.
France's President Emmanuel Macron is worried about the upcoming elections to the European Parliament. Votes for his long-time opponent Marine Le Pen's far-right party are expected to surge at the expense of those for his own centrist party.
The new European Parliament that emerges from the elections, held on 6-9 June, will most likely have far fewer seats for Macron's Renaissance party than its current tally of 23.
Numerous surveys show that the French president's list may only win around 16 per cent of votes, while Le Pen's National Rally (Rassemblement National) is leading by a long way, with more than 30 per cent.
This would be a third consecutive victory for the National Rally in European elections - and this time it could be a landslide.
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