France is firmly in uncharted territory after President Emmanuel Macron's snap elections gamble backfired and saw the far-right National Rally party surge to a dramatic win in the parliamentary first-round polls.
RN is expected to gain a majority of seats but may fall short of the 289 seats needed for an absolute majority, potentially leading to the country's first far-right prime minister since World War II.
Macron's centrist Ensemble coalition suffered a significant setback, trailing behind RN. The left coalition, New Popular Front (NFP), could play a key role with around 165 projected seats.
Analysts suggest that failure to block RN might force Macron into a rare cohabitation alliance with an opposition prime minister, reducing his powers and possibly altering government policies.
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