The first round of France's snap parliamentary election has revealed a significant surge in support for the anti-immigrant National Rally (RN) party, with President Emmanuel Macron's centrist alliance falling into third place. Early polling data from national broadcaster France 2 indicates that RN secured 34% of the vote, while the leftist New Popular Front (NFP) alliance garnered 28.1%. Macron's centrist Together bloc received 20.3% of the vote, according to initial projections.

These projections, based on samples of actual results taken from closed polling stations, provide an initial picture of the election outcome. Further clarity is expected to emerge after 10 p.m. local time, once polling stations in large cities have closed.

In order to be elected in the first round, candidates must obtain an absolute majority of votes and secure the support of over 25% of the registered local electorate. Should no candidate meet this requirement, a second round of voting will be held, featuring the top two candidates and any others who received more than 12.5% support from registered voters. The candidate with the highest number of votes in the second round will win the seat.

Political analysts suggest that the second round, scheduled for July 7, will be significant in determining the overall election results. Furthermore, there is anticipation that many races will occur between the NFP and RN, as it is expected that Macron's Together bloc will perform poorly in the first round.

Pre-election polls indicated that the hard-right National Rally party was likely to secure around 35% of the vote, followed by the leftist NFP alliance and then a coalition of pro-Macron parties. As a result, the National Rally is expected to substantially increase its number of seats in the 577-seat National Assembly, currently holding 89.

However, projections from the initial round of voting indicate that no single party has achieved an outright majority of at least 289 seats, suggesting a hung parliament and a period of political and economic uncertainty ahead. President Macron will remain in office until 2027, regardless of the voting outcome, but he may face pressure to appoint a new prime minister from the National Rally, even if the party does not secure an absolute majority in the final vote. The 28-year-old President of RN, Jordan Bardella, is considered a likely candidate for the position.

The potential scenario of a "cohabitation" government could pose challenges for governance, raising concerns among economists regarding its impact on the euro zone's second-largest economy.

President Macron's decision to call for the snap election in June after his Renaissance party suffered defeat in the European Parliament elections was seen as a bold gamble. Macron had gambled that French citizens would fear and reject the prospect of a far-right government. However, the outcome appears to have emboldened Macron's political rivals.

Further developments in the French parliamentary election are eagerly awaited as the country heads towards the second round of voting.