'We were so scared' Surprise surge for left alliance pushes far right into third place

A nervous energy rippled through the crowd gathered at Lyon's Place de la République.

- Ashifa Kassam LYON

As the final polls closed in the most momentous election in recent memory, hundreds of people milled about, waiting to find out what would lie in store for France.

Just after 8pm, Florent Martins came running through the plaza, mobile phone in hand. "We won," the 23-year-old yelled out. Those around him exploded into cheers and hearty applause. "The left won!"

In a shock win, final results left the broad leftwing alliance as the biggest force in the French parliament, with the New Popular Front taking 182 seats. Emmanuel Macron's centrist grouping, Ensemble, was in second place, with 168 seats, a stronger showing than expected. Marine Le Pen's farright, anti-immigration National Rally (RN) came third with 143 seats.

"It's so good," said Martins. "I've been in a panic all day." Nearby, Veronique Leporte, 69, described the results as stunning. "It's a huge relief," she said. "We were so scared."

It was a sentiment echoed across the country. In Paris cries of joy rang out as the projections sparked spontaneous hugs among strangers and several minutes of applause. Thousands poured into Paris's Place de la République to celebrate, waving signs that read "France is stitched together by migration" and "France says screw you to the RN", echoing rallies in cities such as Toulouse and Nantes.