French PM to resign as Left-wing coalition wins most seats

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal says he will resign as final results early on Monday showed the Left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) won the biggest share of the seats in the French National Assembly.

The outcome means France is now staring down the barrel of a political deadlock and faces a hung parliament, putting the country in an uncertain and unprecedented situation.

The leftist coalition scooped up 182 seats, followed by Emmanuel Macron’s centrists in second place with 168 and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally with just 143 despite leading in the first round.

That means all three main blocs are well short of the 289 seats needed to control the 577-seat National Assembly.

Mr Attal is part of Mr Macron’s Ensemble bloc, which will have to form alliances to run the government.

“Our country is facing an unprecedented political situation and is preparing to welcome the world in a few weeks,” Mr Attal said, who plans to offer his resignation on Monday.

But with the Olympics looming, he said he was ready to stay at his post “as long as duty demands”.

The NFP immediately said it wanted to govern.

“The will of the people must be strictly respected ... the president must invite the New Popular Front to govern,” said hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon.

In a statement from his office, Mr Macron indicated that he wouldn’t be rushed into inviting a potential prime minister to form a government.

It said he was watching as results come in and would wait for the new National Assembly to take shape before taking “the necessary decisions”.

Ms Le Pen, thought to be eyeing what would be her forth run for the French presidency in 2027, said the elections laid the groundwork for “the victory of tomorrow”.

“The tide is rising,” she said. “It did not rise high enough this time.”

“The reality is that our victory is only deferred,” she added.

Joyous scenes in Paris

In Paris’ Stalingrad square, Left-wing supporters cheered and applauded as projections showing the alliance ahead 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.

Marielle Castry, a medical secretary, was on the metro in Paris, when the projections were first announced.

“Everybody had their smartphones and were waiting for the results and then everybody was overjoyed,” said the 55-year-old.

“I had been stressed out since June 9 and the European elections. ... And now, I feel good. Relieved.”

However, there were also reports of unrest, with demonstrators clashing with police in Paris.

Pictures showed fires raging in city streets, blocking roads.

Meanwhile, in the cities of Rennes and Nantes, protesters threw fireworks and bottles at riot police, who returned tear gas.

The government said it deployed 30,000 police for Sunday’s runoff vote amid fears of protests turning violent.

01:53 AM BST

That’s all for today

Thank you for following our live blog on the French election.

We will be back in the morning to bring you the latest as France finds itself facing an unprecedented political situation.

01:44 AM BST

Pictured: Fires erupt as protesters clash with police

Demonstrators blocked roads and clashed with police forces in Paris.

01:22 AM BST

Spain PM Sanchez hails France’s ‘rejection of far right’

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Sunday hailed France’s “rejection of the far right” after a left-wing coalition was projected to form the largest group in parliament.

Mr Sanchez welcomed the shock result alongside this week’s UK general election, where Labour achieved a landslide victory over the Conservatives.

He said both countries “have said YES to progress and social progress and NO to going back on rights and freedoms. You don’t make deals or govern with the far right.”

01:02 AM BST

Final results: French voters reject a far-right majority in favour of the left

A coalition of the French left has won the most seats, final results show.

The leftist coalition has taken the most seats in parliament, with 182.

Mr Macron’s centrists have 168 seats and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally have 143 seats after leading in the first round.

No one has a majority. The unpopular Mr Macron will have to form alliances to run the government.

France now faces the stunning prospect of a hung parliament and political paralysis in a pillar of the European Union.

11:30 PM BST

What does this mean for Macron?

Prior to the election, President Macron had insisted he would not resign. Some of those close to him didn’t seem so sure, though, telling the Telegraph that the president can be unpredictable.

In the end, the results turned out better for him than expected, which might reduce the odds of that happening. But his coalition has still lost its majority. Even if he stays, therefore, his power will be much reduced.

11:03 PM BST

Some incidents of unrest

Crowds gathered across France to celebrate the projected election result on Sunday night, but there have also been some reports of unrest.

In the cities of Rennes and Nantes, protesters threw fireworks and bottles at riot police, who returned tear gas. The photo below shows clashes in Nantes.

10:54 PM BST

Mélenchon’s victory pose

10:35 PM BST

What is the Republican Front?

Many are crediting the so-called “Republican Front” for tonight’s election result.

It is a decades-old practice by mainstream parties to unite against the far-Right to block from them gaining power.

This time, 200 Left-wing and centrist candidates withdrew from seats where they did not expect to win, in order to avoid splitting the anti-hard-Right vote in those constituencies.

The practice was first forged when Marine Le Pen’s father Jean-Marie faced Jacques Chirac in the run-off of the 2002 presidential elections - and lost.

10:15 PM BST

Olivier Véran loses seat

Former government spokesperson and health minister Olivier Véran, who had led the Covid-19 crisis in France, conceded defeat to his Leftist rival in the constituency of Isère.

“I have never known a greater honour than to serve my country and the people of this magnificent first constituency of Isère since 2012. In a three-way race against the RN [National Rally] and LFI [France Unbowed] candidates, my team and I defended the values in which we believe,” he wrote on X.

10:04 PM BST

What happens next?

With no party getting close to the 289 seats needed for an absolute majority, the country is facing a hung parliament.

This is unknown territory for modern France and will likely see Mr Macron pursue coalition negotiations with the centre-left or name a technocratic government with no political affiliations.

However, a statement from the presidency tonight suggests there will not be any immediate decisions about how to proceed.

09:43 PM BST

Tusk: Result will disappoint Russia

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Sunday the projected defeat of France’s hard-Right in parliamentary elections would lead to “disappointment” in Russia and “relief” in Ukraine.

“In Paris enthusiasm, in Moscow disappointment, in Kyiv relief. Enough to be happy in Warsaw,” former EU chief Tusk wrote on social media platform X.

Tusk earlier this month had warned of a “very dangerous” turn for France and Europe after the hard-Right won the first round of the elections.

Tusk had also alleged “Russian influence” in “many parties of the radical right in Europe”.

09:32 PM BST

Macron not taking any immediate decisions

President Emmanuel Macron will wait for the full picture to emerge and for the new National Assembly “to organise itself” before making any decisions on the next government, the French Presidency said in a statement on Sunday.

“The president, as guarantor of our institutions, will respect the choice of the French people,” it added.

Mr Macron will not give a speech tonight. Full results should be known by tomorrow morning but the National Assembly is not scheduled to gather in full session until July 18th.

09:27 PM BST

Attal hails ‘French spirit’ for keeping the extremes out

“Tonight, none of the extremes can claim a majority,” says centrist Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, crediting the “French spirit” for achieving this.

However, his bloc doesn’t have a majority either - although he was keen to emphasise that many of his colleagues had been re-elected and that “Ensemble has won three times the number of seats that had been predicted”.

He said he would hand in his resignation tomorrow morning but would stay in place “as long as my duty requires”.

09:22 PM BST

Pictured: Huge celebrations in Place de la République

09:16 PM BST

François Hollande makes surprise return

Former President François Hollande, who made a surprise return to the political ring and parachuted into the constituency of Corrèze, has won a seat in the National Assembly.

I considered that my duty, despite the functions I have held, was to do everything to prevent the extreme Right from coming to power, but also to open a path of hope,” he told his supporters.

09:13 PM BST

Excitement turns to disappointment at National Rally party

The spirit at the National Rally gathering in eastern Paris quickly moved from excitement to disappointment and shock as the first results came in showing the hard-Right party in third place, reports Rebecca Rosman from the scene.

“This is not what we were expecting to see,” said Julien Durand a 45-year-old who put his head in his hands as the announcement came on French television. He added: “Clearly people are still afraid of the old stereotypes about the far-Right, which are no longer relevant.”

A wave of boos filled the room as the far-Left firebrand and leader of the France Unbowed party Jean-Luc Mélenchon appeared on the television screen in front of them to declare victory for the Leftist coalition New Popular Front.

National Rally supporters, holding French flags, watched in shock and silence, interrupted by occasional boos, as the hard-Left leader spoke. Bottles of champagne were reluctantly opened around 30 minutes after the results came in.

Meanwhile, the party’s leader Marine Le Pen sent out her young protégé and party president Jordan Bardella to give a sombre speech acknowledging the party’s underwhelming results.

09:02 PM BST

Watch: Left-wing supporters celebrate after the results

08:59 PM BST

Le Pen: ‘Victory has only been delayed’

National Rally leader Marine Le Pen downplayed her party’s disappointing performance, saying that “victory has only been delayed”, and that she “sees the seeds of tomorrow’s victory in today’s result”.

“The tide is rising. It did not rise high enough this time, but it continues to rise and, consequently, our victory is only delayed,” she said.

Like her co-leader Jordan Bardella she sought to emphasise that the election still represented a historic advance for the party. “I have too much experience to be disappointed by a result where we double our number of deputies,” she said.

Le Pen also said that President Macron’s situation is untenable given the results.

08:51 PM BST

Euro loses ground after exit poll

The euro has lost ground after exit polls showed a shock defeat for Marine Le Pen’s hard-Right National Rally party against a Leftist alliance, writes Telegraph business reporter James Warrington.

The single currency was trading 0.3 per cent lower against the dollar at $1.0807 as trading got underway in Asia.

Initial projections suggest the New Popular Front – a coalition of Left-wing parties including the Socialists and hard-Left France Unbowed – is on track to win the most seats in the National Assembly.

Markets had largely written off that outcome after National Rally seized the lead in the first round of voting earlier this month.

Axel Rudolph, senior market analyst at online trading platform IG, said there would be “relief among the majority of French voters”.

He added: “A Green, Socialist, France Unbowed and Communist party alliance is likely to form a coalition government but will have to walk a tightrope.”

08:50 PM BST

National Rally may still be the single biggest party - but is thwarted by coalitions

This election is dominated by coalitions and alliances, with the Left-wing New Popular Front and centrist Ensemble blocs expected to take the most seats in the National Assembly.

But National Rally could still end up being the single biggest party, according to a projection from pollster Ifop, which is making the following predictions:

National Rally: 120-130 seats

Renaissance: 107-115 seats

France Unbowed: 85-94 seats

The Republicans (with various Right-wing groups): 60-63 seats

The Socialist Party: 55-65 seats

The Greens: 32-36 seats

08:40 PM BST

Le Pen sister defeated

Marine Le Pen’s elder sister Marie-Caroline was defeated in the constituency of Sarthe, losing to her Leftist rival Elise Le Boucher by a razor thin margin.

This was the fifth time she had stood for election. She lost by just 300 votes.

08:18 PM BST

Bardella: French people have been ‘deprived’ of National Rally victory

National Rally President Jordan Bardella says a “dishonourable alliance” of the Left has “deprived the French people” of a Right-wing victory.

However, he pointed to National Rally’s recent advances - in this election, as well the European parliament election - as “the cornerstones of tomorrow’s victory”.

“For months now a wind of hope has picked up and it will never stop blowing. It all begins tonight,” he said.

08:11 PM BST

How high was voter turnout?

Voter turnout as of 5pm was nearly 60 per cent, which as you can see from the chart below was the highest level since 1981. However, with polls still open for another three hours after that, it is expected that turnout will have reached about 67 per cent in total.

Analysts predicted that the high turnout would be good news for the National Rally’s opponents, with voters mobilising in large numbers in a bid to block the hard-Right from taking power - and the exit poll results appear to confirm that interpretation.

07:56 PM BST

What might the National Assembly look like after this election?

Here’s a breakdown of the projected results:

07:55 PM BST

Pictured: National Rally president reacts

Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally, is seen here reacting on stage as the exit polls were announced.

The 28-year-old is credited with reinvigorating the hard-Right party and modernising its brand, but that does not appear to have been enough to win tonight.

07:46 PM BST

Listen: The Telegraph reports from National Rally HQ

07:44 PM BST

“The most spectacular surprise in modern French politics”

A top political analyst has dubbed tonight’s projected election result as “the most spectacular surprise in modern French politics by a mile.”

Alain Duhamel was commenting after exit polls suggested that the hard-Right National Rally - which had been expected to take the biggest share of seats in what would have been a landmark moment in French politics - had ended up being pushed into third place.

“Nothing can compare with this,” said Mr Duhamel. “The New Popular Front has worked like a dream.”

07:43 PM BST

Strangers hug in Paris

In Paris’s Stalingrad Square, supporters of the Left had gathered to await the election results. The crowd cheered and applauded as the projected results - which put the Left-wing coalition in front - flashed up on a giant screen.

Meanwhile cries of joy also rang out in Republic Square in eastern Paris, with people spontaneously hugging strangers and several minutes of nonstop applause after the projections landed.

07:39 PM BST

Celebrations at France Unbowed headquarters

There were celebrations at the headquarters of France Unbowed. The hard-Left party is part of the Left-wing coalition that appears to have won the biggest share of the seats

07:34 PM BST

Analysis: Macron’s gamble has partially paid off

Emmanuel Macron’s decision to dissolve parliament and call snap elections appears to have partially paid off.

After “winning” the first round, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally has “lost” the second in spectacular fashion, not only defeated by a rag-tag Left-wing alliance ranging from ex-Trotksyists to Socialists but very likely finishing third behind the Macron camp.

Even though the result amounts to historic gains for the Le Pen camp, there is no doubt that this result is a massive slap in the face for the RN and its young leader Jordan Bardella. It could also seriously put the brakes on Ms Le Pen’s ambitions to be president in 2027.

Her seemingly inexorable rise has suffered a major setback.

Undeniably, Mr Macron has also been sorely chastened, with his party losing around 100 seats in the space of two years.

Crucially, power will now move away from the Elysée Palace to the French parliament as Mr Macron enters a period of “cohabitation”. Mr Macron who theories his role as Jupiter, the Roman God of Gods, now finds himself confined to a far lesser role, in charge of foreign and defence affairs.

The question now is who will join forces to form a coalition government and who will be prime minister?

If the Macron camp has to join forces with the Left, there is the small matter of his pension reform they want to shelve.

But that will be for another day.

07:30 PM BST

Who are the New Popular Front?

The New Popular Front is projected to have taken the biggest share of the vote in today’s election.

The coalition of Left-wing parties was only formed last month after President Emmanuel Macron called snap elections, bringing together Socialists, Greens, Communists and the hard-Left into one camp.

However, the coalition is not a new one - a previous alliance between the parties broke up over personal and policy differences.

07:22 PM BST

Disappointment for National Rally supporters

The atmosphere at the National Rally headquarters is said to be subdued, with boos erupting after the exit polls were released. We’ll be hearing more from our reporter at the scene.

07:18 PM BST

Left-wing supporters celebrate

Supporters of the Left-wing coalition New Popular Front, which is projected to have taken the biggest share of seats in the election, celebrated as the exit polls were announced.

07:17 PM BST

Mélenchon speaks

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of the Leftist bloc, said that the results were “immense relief for a majority of people in our country” as he demanded the resignation of the current prime minister.

Mélenchon is the most prominent of the Leftist leaders who unexpectedly came together ahead of the two-round elections.

Polling projections put the leftist coalition in front, followed by President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist alliance in second and the hard-Right in third. The lack of majority for any single alliance has plunged France into political and economic turmoil.

07:13 PM BST

Le Pen’s party pushed into third place - exit poll

Marine Le Pen’s hard-Right National Rally appears to have suffered a major defeat as a Left-wing coalition is projected to have come first in the parliamentary election, according to exit polls.

Polls suggest National Rally - which was expected to come out on top - may even have been pushed into third place by President Macron’s centrist Ensemble bloc.

The New Popular Front, a coalition of Left-wing parties - ranging from the far-Left to Greens - is projected to have won the most seats, with at least 172, according to Ipsos. Meanwhile Macron’s centrist Ensemble is expected to win at least 150, and the National Rally is coming in with at least 132.

However, the exit polls are showing a tight race which means the full result may not be known until tomorrow.

These are the projected results according to an initial estimate from Ipsos:

• New Popular Front: 172-192 seats

• Ensemble: 150-170 seats

• National Rally: 132-152 seats

The broad Left-wing coalition is leading, ahead of both President Emmanuel Macron’s centrists and the far right with no group winning an absolute majority of more than 289 seats.

06:55 PM BST

Analysis: The centre of power in France is about to shift

With just minutes to go until the exit poll is announced, suspense is mounting in France over an election that is seen as historic, with the hard-Right National Rally standing to make major gains, writes our correspondent Henry Samuel.

Commentators are already saying that whatever happens, the centre of power in France will shift from the Elysée Palace to the National Assembly as President Macron is almost certain to enter a period of “cohabitation”. Often French MPs are dubbed “doormats” when the president has a parliamentary majority. This will no longer be the case and Mr Macron’s powers will be reduced to defence and foreign policy.

All the talk is about France having to make political compromises via coalitions in parliament much like in Italy or Germany. “It’s really not in our political culture,” is the overwhelming message.

06:46 PM BST

Listen: We report from the National Rally election party

06:34 PM BST

Turnout soars in potential blow to Le Pen

Voter turnout has soared to its highest level in more than 40 years in what is expected to be a blow to the hard Right.

The figure reached 60 per cent by 5pm local time, the highest rate since 1981.

Though some analysts believe the high turnout might translate to more votes for Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) party, the overwhelming belief is that people are mobilising to block them from power.

A total of 224 candidates were pulled from the second round of France’s snap legislative elections to avoid three-way races that would split the vote against the hard Right.

National Rally leader Jordan Bardella has said he will not accept the post of prime minister if his party does not score an absolute majority, a potential move to encourage his supporters to go and vote.

The two agencies forecast final turnout at around 67 per cent, a level unseen since 1997.

06:22 PM BST

In New Caledonia, pro-independence candidate wins seat

Residents of French overseas territories have also been voting today, and we already have the result from New Caledonia in the Pacific.

A pro-independence Indigenous Kanak candidate beat a loyalist candidate in the second round to take one of the territory’s two seats.

Emmanuel Tjibaou is a political novice but he is the son of a well-known Kanak independence leader who was assassinated in 1989. He is the first pro-independence candidate to win a seat in the French National Assembly since 1986.

Indigenous Kanaks have long sought to break free from France, which took the archipelago in 1853. Polls closed earlier in New Caledonia because of a curfew imposed in response to recent violence sparked by proposed voting changes.

Right-wing candidate and French loyalist Nicolas Metzdorf won New Caledonia’s second parliamentary seat.

06:05 PM BST

Vote counting has already started

Vote counting has already started in France, where poll stations close one hour from now. We are expecting the exit poll projection immediately afterwards, at 19.00 BST, while official results will start trickling in from late tonight.

05:59 PM BST

Anti-RN voters express fears over election outcome

French opinion is sharply divided amid one of the tensest elections in memory, but those who are opposed to the National Rally have been expressing fears about the possibility of having a hard-Right government for the first time in decades.

“The individual freedoms, tolerance and respect for others is what is at stake today,” said Thomas Bertrand, a 45-year-old voter in Paris.

Meanwhile, 31-year-old Jessica Saada believes some of the party’s policies would “just... cause problems and bring more hate.”

Over in Marseille, Yasmina Hellal told the BBC she was alarmed by the party’s anti-immigrant stance. “This is not the France I dream of. For me, France is a welcoming country... A melting pot, like England. It shouldn’t matter where you come from. And it’s sad to see that starting to change.”

Others are worried about the possibility of a hung parliament, leading to an ineffective coalition government.

05:16 PM BST

Sarkozy votes

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy was seen voting with his wife, singer Carla Bruni, in Paris. Mr Sarkozy served as president from 2007-2012. His centre-right party, The Republicans, came in fourth place in the first round of voting last week.

The former president was earlier this year sentenced to six months in prison for illegal campaign financing but he remains free while he pursues an appeal.

05:03 PM BST

Luxury brands barricade windows amid fears of protests

Some luxury boutiques along the Champs Elysees boulevard, including the Louis Vuitton store, barricaded windows and Darmanin said he was deploying 30,000 police amid concerns of violent protests should the far right win.

In Paris, police warned local businesses along the busy retail strip of rue de Rivoli to secure their windows as anti-fascist protesters are expected to protest sweeping gains for Marine Le Pen’s party.

Polls opened today and results are expected late this evening, with reliable exit polls to be published at 7pm UK time.

Interior minister Gérald Darmanin has mobilised 30,000 police and gendarmes across France, including 5,000 in Paris alone for the runoff vote tonight.

The possibility of a hard-Right government, not seen since World War Two, has had the country on edge throughout the rushed, three-week campaign.

“Everyone is talking about it, the shopkeepers are very worried, they don’t know how they will be protected in the event of violence on Sunday,” Thierry Véron, president of the Federation of Parisian Shopkeepers and Craftsmen Associations, told Le Figaro.

04:57 PM BST

30,000 police deployed

Tens of thousands of police officers are being deployed across France late this afternoon in anticipation of potential disorder when the results of the election emerge.

Last week’s first-round election was followed by peaceful protests, but also some vandalism and acts of violence. More than 50 candidates have reported being physically attacked during a campaign in which tensions have been unusually high.

Many shopkeepers have spent the day boarding up their shops amid fears of rioting.

04:19 PM BST

Listen: Our correspondent in Paris gives a snap analysis on what’s at stake in this election

04:09 PM BST

Voter turnout at nearly 60 per cent by 5pm

The voter turnout in the second round of the French parliamentary election stood at 59.71 per cent by 5pm local time, up from a corresponding figure of 38.11 percent in the last election in 2022.

The turnout figure at 5pm was also up from a corresponding figure of 59.39 percent during the first round of the election last Sunday.

03:47 PM BST

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal casts his vote

Gabriel Attal posted a video of him casting his vote on Sunday, days after expressing confidence the hard Right could be deprived of a majority.

Mr Attal said on Wednesday he believed the cross-party bid to deprive the far-right RN of a majority could succeed. However, he dismissed suggestions that President Macron’s centrists could look to form a cross-party government in the event of a hung parliament, proposing that moderates in the assembly worked together to pass legislation on a case-by-case basis instead.

“I hope the (Macron-allied) Ensemble camp is a big as possible,” he said. “After that we will seek to secure majorities on a project-by-project basis.”

03:23 PM BST

What are Marine Le Pen’s plans for France?

After Marine Le Pen’s National Rally walloped Emmanuel Macron in the first round of voting in the French elections, there is a real chance France could be governed by a hard-Right party for the first time since the Second World War, writes Vivian Song.

Read Vivian’s full breakdown

03:01 PM BST

Turnout up on vote two years ago

Voter turnout stood at 26.3 per cent by around noon local time, up from 18.99 per cent during the second round of voting in 2022, the Interior Ministry said.

It was the highest midday turnout level since 1981, pollster Harris Interactive and Ipsos said, illustrating strong public interest in an election that has polarised political views.

02:56 PM BST

Jordan Bardella says he would decline to form a government if his party doesn’t win a majority

Jordan Bardella has said he would decline to form a government if the National Rally (RN) party doesn’t win a majority, although Marine Le Pen has said her party might still try anyway if it falls just short.

Mr Bardella has helped steer France’s far-right RN toward its first real chance of power, the rapidly emerging fresh face of a party that has sought to clean up its image and widen its appeal in recent years.

Though the RN made historic gains at the polls last week most second-round run-offs in French parliamentary elections are between two finalists, namely any candidate who gains more than 12.5 per cent of the registered vote.

The left and centrist parties have been pulling candidates out of the race to prevent the National Rally from securing a landslide victory.

The latest opinion polls have forecast the RN to win the most seats in the National Assembly, but predicted it may fall short of an absolute majority.

02:37 PM BST

Pictured: Businesses boarding up shop windows

Shop keepers are doing what they did last week ahead of the first round of the French election and are boarding up their businesses in anticipation of violence tonight.

Thousands took to the streets to protest the results last week, which handed a victory to Marine Le Pen’s hard Right party.

Some protesters set off fireworks and lit fires in the street.

02:23 PM BST

What happened last week?

The first round on June 30 saw the largest gains ever for the anti-immigration, nationalist National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen.

Ms Le Pen declared her party had “practically wiped out” Emmanuel Macron after the National Rally trounced Mr Macron’s ruling centrist alliance.

The RN and its allies won Sunday’s round with 33 per cent of the vote, followed by a left-wing bloc with 28 per cent and well ahead of President Emmanuel Macron’s broad alliance of centrists, who scored just 22 per cent.

A bit over 49 million people are registered to vote in the elections, which will determine which party controls the 577-member National Assembly, France’s influential lower house of parliament, and who will be prime minister.

02:18 PM BST

France takes to polls today

France holds a parliamentary run-off election on Sunday that will reconfigure the political landscape, with opinion polls forecasting the far-Right National Rally (RN) will win the most votes but likely fall short of a majority.

Such an outcome could plunge the country into a chaotic hung parliament, severely denting the authority of President Emmanuel Macron. Equally, if the nationalist, eurosceptic RN did win a majority, the pro-business, pro-Europe president could find himself forced into a difficult “cohabitation”.

Marine Le Pen’s RN scored historic gains to win last Sunday’s first-round vote, raising the spectre of France’s first far-Right government since World War Two.

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