France’s far-right National Rally has failed to become the largest party at parliamentary elections, according to shock exit poll results, which forecast the left-wing New Popular Front coalition is in pole position.
In what would be a bitter blow for Marine Le Pen, an exit poll by Ipsos suggested the NFP coalition will win between 172 and 192 seats, with the Emmanuel Macron-backing Ensemble group taking second place and Ms Le Pen’s party in third place when the results are confirmed on Monday morning.
Following the exit polls, prime minister Gabriel Attal said he would offer his resignation.
Mr Macron took even his own allies by surprise in calling the snap election last month, after the anti-immigration National Rally made huge gains in European elections.
The president gambled that French voters would block the far right as they have in the past.
But the National Rally instead won a larger share than ever in the first round of voting on 30 June.
More than 200 candidates from the Macron-backing Ensemble alliance and left-wing New Popular Front stepped down in seats otherwise facing a three-way battle, in a so-called “republican front” against the far right.
Key Points
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France’s far-right defeated in election, shock exit poll suggests
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Leftist Melenchon hails ‘immense relief’ for France after exit polls
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‘Our victory has been merely delayed,’ claims Marine Le Pen
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Voter turnout highest since 1981, as of 5pm
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What happened in the first round of voting?
What could happen next?
23:59 , Andy Gregory
France’s constitution states that president Emmanuel Macron will decide who to ask to form a government.
But whoever he picks faces a confidence vote in the National Assembly, which will convene for 15 days from 18 July – meaning Mr Macron needs to name someone acceptable to a majority of parliamentarians.
The president will likely be hoping to peel off Socialists and Greens from the leftist alliance, isolating Jean-Luc Melenchon’s France Unbowed (LFI), to form a centre-left coalition with his own bloc.
However, there was no sign of an imminent break-up of the New Popular Front at this stage.
Another possibility is a government of technocrats that would manage day-to-day affairs but not oversee structural changes. But it is not clear that the left-wing bloc would support this scenario, which would still require the backing of parliament.
Which notable results have been declared so far?
23:47 , Andy Gregory
Outgoing prime minister Gabriel Attal has retained his National Assembly seat in Hauts-de-Seine, according to results published by France’s interior ministry.
Under the banner of the New Popular Front, former Socialist president Francois Hollande also defeated his National Rally opponent by 43 per cent of the vote to 31 per cent, despite the Macron-backed Republican candidate refusing to withdraw in the second round of voting.
Aurelien Rousseau, a former Macron-allied health minister who resigned recently in protest against the controversial far right-backed immigration bill, was also elected under the New Popular Front banner.
Meanwhile, former health minister Olivier Veran – who held the prominent post during the Covid pandemic – was defeated by the leftist candidate in Isere.
Bernie Sanders congratulates French left
23:31 , Andy Gregory
Former US presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders has congratulated the French left “for taking on right-wing extremism and winning”.
Here’s a simple fact: If politicians stand with working families, working families will stand with you.
As it turns out, lowering the retirement age & raising the minimum wage are very popular.
Congratulations to the French Left for taking on right-wing extremism and winning.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) July 7, 2024
Declared results widely mirror exit polling, reports suggest
23:23 , Andy Gregory
Le Monde is reporting the results of 558 of the 577 seats up for grabs in France’s National Assembly election, citing the interior ministry.
According to the newspaper, the New Popular Front alliance has so far secured 177, while Emmanuel Macron’s Ensemble coalition has 157, and the National Rally and its allies have 141.
Clashes with riot police in Paris and Nantes
23:14 , Andy Gregory
There have been clashes with riot police in Paris and Nantes, with tear gas fired in the latter city, images taken by photojournalists suggest.
Attal signals he will stay on as PM during Paris Olympics
22:57 , Andy Gregory
Despite intending to tender his resignation, French prime minister Gabriel Attal has signalled he will remain in the post during the upcoming Paris Olympics and for as long as needed – given that polling projections show that no party has won an outright majority.
There likely will be weeks of intense political negotiations to choose a new prime minister and form a government.
Latest Ipsos projections in French election
22:45 , Andy Gregory
Here is the most recent projection from Ipsos:
The leftist New Popular Front is expected to win between 177 and 192 seats, the Macron-backing Ensemble could win between 152 and 158, while the National Rally and its far-right allies are expected to take 138 to 145 seats.
Jubilation and relief in Paris at exit poll results
22:31 , Andy Gregory
In Paris’s Stalingrad square, supporters on the left cheered and applauded as exit poll projections showing the alliance ahead – and the far right in third place – flashed up on a giant screen.
Cries of joy also rang out in Republique plaza in eastern Paris, with people spontaneously hugging strangers and several minutes of nonstop applause after the projections landed.
But France’s far right nevertheless appears to have made significant gains on the 89 seats it currently holds, with Ipsos’ projections suggesting National Rally could win between 132 to 152 seats.
Full report: Far right thwarted by shock win for left in French elections, according to exit polls
22:23 , Andy Gregory
France has voted to reject the far right, with a leftist coalition becoming the largest party in a hung parliament, shock exit poll results forecast.
In a dramatic turnaround on Sunday night, Marine Le Pen was dealt a bitter blow as Ipsos exit polls indicated her far-right National Rally had failed to capitalise on the ascendant trajectory which spooked centrist president Emmanuel Macron into calling the snap parliamentary elections.
Pollsters had widely expected National Rally to emerge as the largest party in France’s National Assembly, with most voters focused on the question of whether the far right could succeed in winning the majority needed to deliver the country’s first such government since the Nazi occupation.
Instead, it was the leftist New Popular Front – comprising the Socialists, Greens, Communists and Jean-Luc Melenchon’s far-left France Unbowed (LFI) – which was projected to have won the most seats in France’s National Assembly as polls closed at 8pm local time.
Here is the full report:
Far right thwarted by shock win for left in French elections, according to exit polls
German Social Democrat MP: ‘The worst has been avoided’
22:06 , Andy Gregory
Reacting to the French exit polls, Nils Schmid, a member of the German parliament and foreign policy spokesperson for the Social Democratic Party said: “The worst has been avoided.”
But he added: “The president is politically weakened, even if he retains a central role in view of the unclear majority situation. Forming a government will be complicated.”
‘Enough to be happy in Warsaw’: Polish premier Tusk gives verdict on exit polls
21:54 , Andy Gregory
Poland’s premier Donald Tusk has given his verdict on the exit polls in France.
He said: “In Paris enthusiasm, in Moscow disappointment, in Kyiv relief. Enough to be happy in Warsaw.”
Watch: Celebrations in Paris as exit poll predicts far-right defeat
21:39 , Andy Gregory
France’s Hollande says leftist coalition ‘must realise what it has to do’
21:25 , Andy Gregory
Former Socialist president Francois Hollande said: “The New Popular Front must realise what it has to do today.
“It is the strongest party in the National Assembly. It does not have an absolute majority. As I speak, it has a relative majority.”
Watch: French PM Attal says he will hand in his resignation on Monday
21:23 , Andre Langlois
Outgoing PM claims centrists have defied expectations
21:11 , Andy Gregory
Outgoing prime minister Gabriel Attal has suggested that centrists may have defied expectations in France’s parliamentary elections.
He said: “Tonight, the extremes have no absolute majority, thanks to our determination and the strength of our values. We [centrists] have three times more MPs than were predicted at the start of this campaign.
“Being prime minister was the honour of my life. This evening the political group that I represent no longer has a majority and tomorrow morning I will submit my resignation to the president.”
Macron must invite leftist coalition to govern, Melenchon claims
20:55 , Andy Gregory
Jean-Luc Melenchon has insisted that Emmanuel Macron must invite his leftist New Popular Front coalition to govern, after exit polls suggested it had won the most seats in France’s snap elections.
Speaking after the shock exit polls, the France Unbowed (LFI) leader said: “The will of the people must be strictly respected. No arrangement would be acceptable. The defeat of the president and his coalition is clearly confirmed. The president must accept his defeat.
“The prime minister must go. The president must invite the New Popular Front to govern.”
‘Our victory has been merely delayed,’ claims Le Pen
20:41 , Andy Gregory
Emmanuel Macron is in an “untenable” situation, Marine Le Pen has warned, insisting her far-right National Rally had lost only as a result of tactical voting between the leftist New Popular Front alliance and Mr Macron’s Ensemble group.
“Our victory has been merely delayed,” she told TF1 TV.
PM Attal to tender his resignation to Macron
20:33 , Andy Gregory
Prime minister Gabriel Attal has that he will tender his resignation to Mr Macron, but said he was willing to carry out his functions as long as required.
It came as the Elysee Palace said the president himself would wait for the full picture to emerge in parliament before taking the necessary next decisions, but “will respect the choice of French people”.
Mr Attal became France’s youngest prime minister in history when he was appointed in January by Mr Macron at the age of 34, having previously served as minister for education.
Macron has suffered ‘resounding defeat’, warns Paris mayor
20:16 , Andy Gregory
Paris’s Socialist mayor Anne Hidalgo has warned that Emmanuel Macron has suffered another “resounding defeat” despite France voting to see off the far right, according to exit poll predictions.
In a statement reported by Le Parisien, Ms Hidalgo said: “This evening, France escaped the worst thanks to the mobilisation of voters who chose the Republic, by preventing the RN from having a majority in the National Assembly. This is good news for our country, the far right is not in the majority.”
“However, no absolute majority has emerged from the results of the legislative elections,” Ms Hidalgo added.
“The situation of instability that we are going through has only one person responsible: Emmanuel Macron who, on the evening of June 9, deliberately made the choice to plunge the country into a major political crisis.
“This evening, he is once again suffering, after the European elections, a resounding defeat. He will have to draw all the consequences from this.”
Jordan Bardella speaks
19:48 , Andre Langlois
The far-right National Rally’s leader, Jordan Bardella, said on Sunday that France had been “thrown into the hands of the far left” after his party failed to win the French parliamentary elections, according to exit polls.
“After deliberately paralysing our institutions, Emmanuel Macron has not pushed the country towards uncertainty and instability. As a result, he has deprived the French people of any response to their day-to-day difficulties for many months to come,” said Bardella.
He pledged his party will “amplify” its work in the opposition.
Watch: Jubilation among supporters as exit polls suggest ‘big victory’ for leftist New Popular Front
19:36 , Andy Gregory
Blow for Le Pen
19:35 , Andre Langlois
The projected results would be a major disappointment for Marine Le Pen’s nationalist, eurosceptic National Rally (RN).
The party, which had for weeks been projected to win the election, is on course for 115 to 155 seats.
The first official results are expected later on Sunday, with the results from most, if not all, constituencies likely to be in by the end of the day or the early hours of Monday.
Voters have punished Macron and his ruling alliance for a cost of living crisis and for failing public services, as well as over immigration and security.
Le Pen and her party tapped into those grievances, spreading their appeal way beyond their traditional strongholds along the Mediterranean coast and in the country’s northern rust belt.
But the leftwing alliance looks like it has edged them out of the first spot, in part thanks to limited cooperation by Macron’s centrist Together alliance and the left.
Le Pen’s rivals pulled more than 200 candidates out of three-way races in the second round in a bid to create a unified anti-RN vote.
The constitution mandates that there can be no new parliamentary election for another year.
Hung parliament
19:29 , Andre Langlois
If the projected hung parliament is confirmed, it will leave parliament divided into three big groups with different platforms and no tradition of working together.
The leftist alliance, which gathers the hard left, the Socialists and Greens, who have long been at odds with each other, was forecast to win between 172 and 215 seats out of 577 in the exit polls.
Cries of joy and tears of relief broke out at the leftist alliance’s gathering in Paris. At the Greens’ headquarters activists screamed in joy, embracing each other.
By contrast there was stunned silence, clenched jaws and tears at the far-right party headquarters, as young National Rally members checked their phones.
The result will in any case be humiliating for Macron, whose centrist alliance, which he founded to underpin his first presidential run in 2017, was projected to be narrowly second and win 150-180 seats.
Melenchon hails ‘immense relief’ for France after shock exit polls
19:19 , Andy Gregory
French Leftist leader Jean-Luc Melenchon has hailed the exit poll results as providing “immense relief for a majority of people in our country” as the far-right were forecast to have failed to achieve the first-place result expected in polls.
But the far-left leader demanded the resignation of prime minister Gabriel Attal after Ipsos polling put his New Popular Front coalition in first place.
Mr Melenchon is the most prominent of the leftist leaders who unexpectedly came together ahead of the two-round elections, and who struck up a last-minute “republican front” with the Macron-backing Ensemble party to pull candidates out of the final ballot in order to present a single opponent against the far-right.
Blow for both Macron and Le Pen as exit poll puts leftist coalition in pole position
19:14 , Andy Gregory
France is on course for a hung parliament, according to exit polls which put the leftist New Popular Front coalition in first place – followed by the Macron-backing Ensemble and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally.
The outcome, if confirmed, will leave parliament divided in three big groups with hugely different platforms and no tradition at all of working together.
That could potentially herald a period of instability, unless the left manages to strike a deal with other parties to work together.
The leftist alliance was forecast to win between 172 and 215 seats out of 577, pollsters’ projections based on early results from a sample of polling stations showed. These projections are usually reliable.
The result would in any case be humiliating for French President Emmanuel Macron, whose centrist alliance, which he founded to underpin his first presidential run in 2017, was projected to be narrowly second and win 150-180 seats.
But it will also be a major disappointment for Marine Le Pen’s nationalist, eurosceptic National Rally(RN).
Breaking: France’s far-right defeated in election, shock exit poll suggests
19:10 , Andy Gregory
France’s far-right National Rally have failed to become the largest party in parliamentary elections, according to shock exit poll results forecasting the left-wing New Popular Front coalition is in pole position.
In results which would deliver a bitter blow to Marine Le Pen, an exit poll by Ipsos suggested the NFP coalition will obtain between 172 and 192 seats.
The Macron-backing Ensemble group would take second place with between 150 and 170 seats, while National Rally would secure 132 to 152 seats.
Just 30 minutes left of voting in French parliamentary elections
18:31 , Andy Gregory
There is just half an hour left before voting closes across France, with the exit polls set to be published shortly afterwards.
National Rally defeated in Guadeloupe
18:02 , Andy Gregory
The National Rally has failed to secure a seat in any of the four constituencies in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe.
Left-wing incumbents were decisively re-elected in each of the constituences, despite National Rally candidates having managed to progress to the second round of voting in two seats.
Voting closes in towns and small cities
17:44 , Andy Gregory
Voting closed at 6pm local time (5pm BST) in towns and small cities in France.
The polls will shut at 8pm local time in bigger cities, at which point pollsters will deliver initial projections based on early counts from a sample of voting stations.
How does voting in France’s parliamentary elections work?
17:32 , Andy Gregory
Voting in French parliamentary elections takes place over two rounds, the second of which is taking place today.
In last Sunday’s initial vote, any candidate who recieved more than 50 per cent of the vote in each of the 571 seats up for grabs was automatically declared the victor – a result secured by more than 60 candidates.
In the remaining 501 seats, any candidate who received more than 12.5 per cent ofthe vote progressed onto the second ballot – paving the way for a generally more tactical approach to voting than in the first round.
Close to 220 candidates on the centre and left have pulled out of the race in a bid to present a clear choice to voters between the far right and a single alternative candidate, in a move successfully deployed historically in the past but unsurprisingly denounced by far-right leader Marine Le Pen.
The party which manages to secure a majority of MPs then forms a government to serve under the president.
What happened in the first-round of voting last week?
17:16 , Andy Gregory
Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally took a strong lead in France’s first round of parliamentary elections last Sunday, following an unusually high turnout among voters.
Official results showed that the nationalist leader’s party won 33 per cent of the vote, while current president Emmanuel Macron’s Together coalition slumped to third place on 20 per cent. The left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) scored around 28 per cent.
Nearly 60 per cent of the population turned out to vote, the highest in nearly four decades.
The results saw Mr Macron and the NFP reluctantly band together to form a so-called “republican front”, which saw more than 200 candidates drop out of three-way races in a tactic historically relied upon to see off the far-right.
My colleagues Holly Evans and Tom Watling have more in this report:
Le Pen’s far-right National Rally take lead in first round of French election voting
Jewish leaders urge against votes for far right or far left
16:59 , Andy Gregory
French Jewish leaders, including the chief rabbi, have urged against voting for either the far right or far left in today’s elections.
In a statement issued on Friday, they warned that citizens would write France’s destiny on Sunday, saying: “Faithful to the history of our institutions and to the spirit of Judaism, we do not accept associating ourselves with those who tend to exclude or stigmatise our neighbor, or with those who inflame our society by spreading hatred and antisemitism, under the cover of anti-Zionism.
“No, populism or nationalism have never been a bulwark against antisemitism in history, nor have they brought peace and serenity. No, antisemitism is neither “residual” nor “contextual” as some have dared to claim.
“To restore the country’s ability to take public action and to regain the hope of saving prospects, we are choosing the universal and humanist values that are at the heart of Judaism, as well as our republican pact.”
“In conscience, we believe that this cannot be done today either with” Marine Len Pen’s National Rally or Jean-Luc Melenchon’s LFI, they wrote.
Paris voters express concern over ‘very worrying’ potential election outcomes
16:44 , Andy Gregory
Voters in Paris appeared acutely aware of the the far-reaching consequences for France and beyond in this election.
“The individual freedoms, tolerance and respect for others is what at stake today,” Thomas Bertrand, a 45-year-old voter who works in advertising, told the Associated Press.
Sitting in a deck chair along the Saint-Martin Canal in eastern Paris, Fernando Veloso said voters were perplexed by the prospect of divided government.
“It’s going to bring confusion,” the 67-year-old retiree told the news agency. “Will they be able to govern properly in a cohabitation government, with Macron still in power? It’s tricky.”
“Tensions are running high,” he added. “It’s worrying. Very worrying.”
Watch: French PM casts vote in pivotal runoff election that could propel far-right to power
16:31 , Andy Gregory
Voter turnout highest since 1981 as of 5pm
16:17 , Andy Gregory
As of 5pm local time, turnout was at 59.7 per cent, according to France’s Interior Ministry, the highest at that time on the voting day since 1981.
During the first round, the nearly 67 per cent turnout was the highest since 1997, ending nearly three decades of deepening voter apathy for legislative elections and, for a growing number of French people, politics in general.
Results come in from French Overseas territories
16:00 , Jabed Ahmed
In the restive French Pacific territory of New Caledonia, a pro-independence Indigenous Kanak candidate has won a seat over a loyalist candidate in the second round of voting.
Emmanuel Tjibaou is a political novice and a son of a well-known Kanak independence leader, Jean-Marie Tjibaou, who was assassinated in 1989. He is the first pro-independence candidate to win a seat in the National Assembly since 1986.
Right-wing candidate and French loyalist Nicolas Metzdorf has won New Caledonia’s second parliament seat.
Economists and financial markets rattled by RN
15:45 , Jabed Ahmed
Financial markets were rattled by Mr Macron’s election gamble last month.
The CAC 40 stock market in Paris sank 6 per cent within days and French government bonds were sold off, as investors fled to safer alternatives.
The RN has watered down some of its frontline economic policy pledges to shore up household spending and lower the retirement age, constrained by France‘s ballooning budget deficit.
They also pledge to reduce immigration, loosen legislation to expel illegal migrants and tighten rules around family reunification.
French asset prices have risen on expectations the RN won’t win a majority, with banking shares up and the risk premium investors demand to hold French debt narrowing.
However, France‘s business elite is anxious about the risk of volatile politics and instability ahead, and economists question whether the RN’s hefty spending plans are fully funded.
When will the results be announced?
15:25 , Jabed Ahmed
Voting ends at 8pm local time (7pm BST), when pollsters publish nationwide projections based on a partial vote count.
These are usually reliable, with official results coming in from 8pm.
Vote counting is usually quite fast and the winners of all, or nearly all, seats will be known by the end of the evening.
Election marred by violence
14:42 , Jabed Ahmed
France’s election campaign has seen more than 50 violent attacks on candidates and activists, a senior government minister has warned.
Some 30,000 officers have been deployed to police the tense ballot today, including 5,000 in Paris, said interior minister Gerald Darminin.
Some luxury boutiques along the Champs Elysees boulevard, including the Louis Vuitton store, have barricaded windows.
Voters say they are ‘mad at the government’ for calling an election
14:35 , Jabed Ahmed
President Emmanuel Macron called a snap election after he was thrashed by the far-right in European Parliament elections last month.
“I’m mad at the government and in particular at the president that they have taken this irresponsible risk,” Frederic Maillard, a doctor from the central town of Tours, told Reuters.
“The country is facing three radically opposed views of society”, said Olivier Grisal, a retiree, as he walked towards his polling site in the middle-class town of Conflans Sainte-Honorine, west of Paris, with his wife.
Ranaivoatisan Voahirana, who works in the medical sector, said she voted for the government’s candidate but was “almost certain” the National Rally would win.
“People won’t bother to hide their racism any more”, she said.
How likely is a far right victory?
13:20 , Jabed Ahmed
In the first round of voting last week, RN placed first with more a third of the vote.
However, the chances of RN winning an outright majority has fallen significantly this week, as centrist and left-wing parties banded together to keep the far-right away from power.
In a chaotic week between the two rounds, more than 200 centrist and left-wing candidates pulled out of races to boost the chances of their moderate rivals and try keep RN candidates from winning.
The latest polls published on Friday still projected a win for the National Rally, with 170 to 205 seats in the new chamber, compared to 88 in the outgoing chamber.
This means they will place first but below the absolute majority threshold set at 289 seats.
France’s North African doctors consider emigration amid rise of far right
13:10 , Jabed Ahmed
In the southern French town where Tunisian doctor Tasnime Labiedh works, the far-right National Rally (RN) came top with 41% in the first round of France’s election. Now, she’s thinking of moving to Switzerland.
Read the full article here:
France’s North African doctors consider emigration amid rise of far right
ICYMI: French election campaign rocked by violence
13:00 , Jabed Ahmed
France’s election campaign has seen more than 50 violent attacks on candidates and activists, a senior government minister has warned, as the country braces for a crunch final round of voting.
Some 30,000 officers will be deployed to police the tense ballot on Sunday, including 5,000 in Paris, said interior minister Gerald Darminin – as France teeters on the brink of handing the far right its largest ever parliamentary victory.
Read the full report here:
French election campaign rocked by violence in run-up to crunch vote
What is the National Rally?
12:47 , Jabed Ahmed
The National Rally (RN) is a nationalist and populist right-wing party, which has grown in popularity due to the rise of the right across Europe.
Until 2018, it was known as the National Front but, Marine Le Pen has sought to clean up the image of a party known for racism and antisemitism. This tactic has worked amid voter anger at Mr Macron, the high cost of living and growing concerns over immigration.
Founded in 1972 by Jean-Marie Le Pen, Ms Le Pen’s father, today the party is led by Jordan Bardella, a 28-year-old who has been fast-tracked to political leadership.
They are the single biggest opposition party with 88 MPs in the lower house of parliament.
President Emmanuel Macron casts his ballot
12:31 , Jabed Ahmed
What to expect from the second round of voting
11:50 , Jabed Ahmed
The second round of voting will determine which party controls the 577-member National Assembly, France‘s influential lower house of parliament, and who will be prime minister.
Voters across France and overseas territories can cast ballots for 501 of the 577 seats in the National Assembly. The other 76 races were won outright in the first round of voting.
In a chaotic week between the two rounds, more than 200 centrist and left-wing candidates pulled out of races to boost the chances of their moderate rivals and try keep RN candidates from winning.
If support is further eroded for Mr Macron’s weak centrist majority, he will be forced to share power with parties opposed to most of his pro-business, pro-European Union policies.
Watch live: France’s snap election continues as polls open in decisive second round
11:35 , Jabed Ahmed
Former French president casts his ballot
11:24 , Jabed Ahmed
French voter turnout significantly higher than last time by midday, interior ministry says
11:16 , Jabed Ahmed
Voter turnout in the second round of a French parliamentary election on Sunday was significantly higher than in the second round of the last election in 2022 by midday, the interior ministry has said.
Turnout stood at 26.3% by around 12pm, up from 18.99% in 2022.
Full report: Far right thwarted by shock win for left in French elections, exit polls suggest
22:11 , Andy Gregory
France has voted to reject the far right, with a leftist coalition becoming the largest party in a hung parliament, shock exit poll results forecast.
In a dramatic turnaround on Sunday night, Marine Le Pen was dealt a bitter blow as Ipsos exit polls indicated her far-right National Rally had failed to capitalise on the ascendant trajectory which spooked centrist president Emmanuel Macron into calling the snap parliamentary elections.
Pollsters had widely expected National Rally to emerge as the largest party in France’s National Assembly, with most voters focused on the question of whether the far right could succeed in winning the majority needed to deliver the country’s first such government since the Nazi occupation.
Instead, it was the leftist New Popular Front – comprising the Socialists, Greens, Communists and Jean-Luc Melenchon’s far-left France Unbowed (LFI) – which was projected to have won the most seats in France’s National Assembly as polls closed at 8pm local time.
Here is the full report:
Far right thwarted by shock win for left in French elections, according to exit polls
Voter turnout expected to be high
10:00 , Jabed Ahmed
A little more than 49 million people are registered to vote in the elections, and voter turnout is expected to be high.
In the first round of voting, 67 per cent of the electorate took to the polls – the highest levels since 1997.
What next for Macron if he loses?
09:50 , Jabed Ahmed
Mr Macron stunned the country and angered many of his political allies when he called the snap election after a trashing by the RN in last month’s European parliamentary vote.
Whatever the final result, his political agenda now appears dead, three years before the end of his presidency.
Jordan Bardella, RN’s candidate for prime minister, said the party would decline to form a government if it doesn’t win a majority, although Ms Le Pen has said it might try if it falls just short.
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who looks likely to lose his job in the post-election shakeup, has dismissed suggestions Mr Macron’s centrists could seek to form a cross-party government in the event of a hung parliament.
An RN majority would force Mr Macron into an awkward “cohabitation” with Mr Bardella as prime minister.
What happened in the first round of voting?
09:40 , Jabed Ahmed
In the first round of voting last Sunday, RN and its allies won 33 per cent of the vote, followed by a left-wing bloc with 28 per cent and Mr Macron’s centrists with just 20 per cent.
This was a huge setback for Mr Macron, who called the snap election after his party suffered a crushing defeat by Ms Le Pen’s party in the European parliament elections last month.
Read the full report here:
Macron camp divided as far right takes one step closer to power
Pictured: French prime minister Gabriel Attal casts his ballot
09:29 , Jabed Ahmed
Polls open in France for historic election
09:23 , Jabed Ahmed
Voting has begun in France in a historic parliamentary run-off election that will reconfigure the political landscape.
Polls opened at 8am and will close at 8pm in larger cities, with initial projections expected the moment voting ends, based on an exit poll.
Currently, opinion polls forecast the far-right National Rally (RN) to win the most votes but likely fall short of a majority.
The rise of Marine Le Penn’s RN could plunge the country into a chaotic hung parliament weeks before the Paris Olympic Games and severely dent President Emmanuel Macron’s authority.
Follow The Independent’s live blog for the latest updates.
