Far right takes lead in French election

Marine Le Pen's far-right, anti-immigration party is in reach of becoming the biggest political force in the French parliament after a historically high showing in the first round of snap parliamentary elections.

- Angelique Chrisafis

National Rally (RN) won about 34% of the national vote share, according to exit polls, with the leftwing alliance in second place and Emmanuel Macron's centrist grouping trailing a distant third. The RN took about 12m votes - almost three times the 4.2m it took in the last parliamentary election in 2022.

Speaking after the polls had closed, Le Pen said the French people had shown "in an unambiguous vote... their wish to turn the page on seven years of the disdainful and corrosive" presidency of Emmanuel Macron. She said her party was now hoping to achieve what is seen as the still steep challenge of increasing its current 88 seats in parliament to an absolute majority of 289.

If this happens in next Sunday's decisive second round of voting, it would be the first time in French history that a far-right party has won a parliamentary election and formed a government. In that scenario, Macron - who called the election just three weeks ago after losing to the RN in the European elections - would have to share power.

Equally, the RN could win the largest number of seats but fall short of an absolute majority. Macron could then find himself with a hung parliament unable to produce a stable majority to govern the EU's second biggest economy and its top military power.