In Fréjus, southern France, support for the far-right National Rally is strong. Here, a majority of residents vote for the far-right and many want to see Jordan Bardella, Marine Le Pen's crown prince, as prime minister after the parliamentary election on 30 June.
When President Emmanuel Macron called for new elections after National Rally's landslide victory in the European Championship, it came as a shock to most French people. But in the small town of Fréjus, with its long promenade lined with palm trees and cafes, many are expectant.
We want change. Macron is a joke, he talks nicely and is intelligent but he doesn't listen to the people, says 77-year-old pensioner Pierre, who plays boules on one of the town's courts and doesn't want to give his surname.
Showcase for RN
Pierre voted for RN in the European Championship and will vote for the party again in the parliamentary election. He is not alone. At a cafe next to the boules court, friends Giles and Geoffrey, both plan to vote for RN in two weeks.
We must change politics, it's enough now, we must stop immigration, says 57-year-old locksmith Geoffrey.
I like Bardella, he will make a good prime minister, says 50-year-old Giles.
Fréjus is the epitome of a picturesque French coastal town. The azure-blue sea glitters in the sun, and on a sign on the promenade, it reads: "Welcome to the boules capital of the Riviera".
But the town is also seen as a showcase for RN. Since 2014, Mayor David Rachline (RN) has ruled here, a close friend of Marine Le Pen and party leader Jordan Bardella. In the European Championship, the party received 47.5 per cent of the votes here, compared to 31 per cent nationally. Even the nationalist party Reconquest, with Marine Le Pen's niece Marion Maréchal as its figurehead, received more votes here than nationally, just over 9 per cent. This means that over 56 per cent of Fréjus residents voted for the far-right in the European Championship.
The trend of voting for the far-right in southern France has historical roots and is partly due to the country's colonial history, according to Elisa Bellè, a researcher at the University of Sciences Po in Paris.
Many French settlers who were forced to leave Algeria after independence in 1962 settled in the region. They often felt a kind of lost nationalism, explains Bellè.
At the same time, there was a large influx of workers from North Africa to the region.
Immigration hot topic
When the polling institute Ipsos asked the French what issues were most important to them before the European Championship, purchasing power came top, followed by immigration and the environment. But for RN voters, there is no doubt which issue is most important.
I'm voting for Bardella because of immigration and insecurity in the country, they go hand in hand. Macron hasn't done his job, now we'll see if Bardella can do it better, says retired butcher Daniel.
The final result of Sunday's European Championship, in percentage terms:
Far-right party National Rally, Rassemblement national: 31.37
President Emmanuel Macron's liberal party coalition Besoin d'Europe: 14.6
The coalition Réveiller l'Europe, which includes the French Socialist Party: 13.8
Left-wing party Unsubmissive France, La France Insoumise: 9.0
The traditional right-wing party Les Républicains: 7.25
National Rally won 30 of France's 81 seats in the European Parliament and became the largest single party.
Source: European Parliament
