Last week’s European elections were described as a 'eurosceptic earthquake' by French Prime Minister Manuel Valls.

In describing the success of France’s Front National, Germany’s finance minister Wolfgang Schaueble stated that some of the French electorate had voted, "not for a right-wing party but for a fascist party".

Led by Marine Le Pen, the daughter of former firebrand leader, Jen Marie Le Pen, Front National won 24 seats in this election, an increase of 21, totalling 26 per cent of France's vote.

Founding member of Front National and recently retired MEP, Bruno Gollnish reacts to being called a party of fascists:

Socialist French Minister for Foreign Affairs, Helene Conway was in Dublin last week and reacted to the popularity of the Front National: