Marine Le Pen's party

Unlike Bulgaria, where the nationalist parties suffered a crushing defeat in the European elections, throughout the rest of the EU they are gaining ground. 

The French National Front and UK Independence Party both performed strongly, while the three big centrist blocs in parliament all lost seats.

French far-right National Front Party has done remarkably well at Sunday's first round of local polls. France's ruling Socialists, on the other hand, seem to be trailing behind the opposition UMP (Union for a Popular Movement).