Le Pen's success leaves French political establishment in shock

The scene had been carefully set in advance. Pinned on the wall behind Marine Le Pen on election night on Sunday, at the party's headquarters in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre, were posters with the words: "The National Front: first party of France".

The National Front's score in the European elections, even if predictable, is spectacular and deeply shattering for the French political landscape.

With 24.85 percent of voters, not only did the National Front (FN) win the election...