France's Le Pen and her MPs arrive at National Assembly

An emboldened Marine Le Pen arrived at France's National Assembly Wednesday morning flanked by scores of newly-elected MPs representing her Far Right party, the National Rally. Once controversial and demonised, Le Pen has gone mainstream, now leading a party with 89 seats in parliament up from eight, which gives it considerable power as an opposition force.

France faced an ecstatic Marine Le Pen on Monday after her party’s far-right candidates sent shockwaves through the political establishment and helped deny President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance a majority in parliament.

The surprising breakthrough for the far right — alongside a surge in support for hard-left candidates — undercuts Macron’s leadership, threatens his plans to raise the country’s retirement age and cut taxes, and reshapes France’s political landscape. Le Pen’s National Rally party didn’t win the two-round parliamentary election that ended Sunday. But it secured more than 10 times the seats it won five years ago.