French National Assembly election: What’s at stake and what to expect?

A relief panel sculpture is pictured outside the chamber of the French National Assembly before the first round of the early French parliamentary elections, in Paris, France [Benoit Tessier/Reuters]

French voters will cast their ballots on Sunday to elect 577 members of the National Assembly, as the country looks set to enter a new political era.

The elections come after French President Emmanuel Macron called for a snap vote triggered by a crushing defeat to Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party at the European Parliament elections on June 9.