French President Emmanuel Macron's centrist alliance suffered a significant blow in the first round of the country's parliamentary elections, with the far-right National Rally (RN) party making substantial gains. The RN secured 33% of the vote, positioning itself as a potential contender for power and potentially becoming the first far-right party to enter the French government since World War II.
The left-wing alliance, New Popular Front, also performed well, coming in second with 28% of the vote. In contrast, Macron's Ensemble alliance trailed in third place with 21% of the vote, prompting questions about the rationale behind calling for the snap election.
