If Macron thought dissolving the French National Assembly immediately after the EU elections and daring French voters to bring the far-right into power would scare them straight, it backfired in spectacular fashion.

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen this week has taken on a Trumpian tone ahead of Sunday’s final round of parliamentary elections, accusing President Emmanuel Macron of cooking up an “administrative coup d’Etat” through official appointments that would restrict her party’s ability to govern if she wins a majority.

His party faces near-annihilation in the National Assembly, with fewer seats than Rishi Sunak’s Tories can hope for later this week. His prime ministers, past and present, could not find hard enough words in private to describe his “suicidal” snap election decision since he took it three weeks ago.