The political earthquake that France woke up to Monday was no less seismic because it may have been predictable. The far-right swept to victory in the first round of legislative elections after President Emmanuel Macron’s almighty gamble backfired. Now the centrist leader and the country’s left, reeling from the historic results, are scrambling to thwart the National Rally in the decisive second round and prevent France’s first far-right government since the Nazi occupation in World War Two.
” The left-wing alliance, the New Popular Front, also said it would withdraw candidates in places where they were in third place to prevent votes being split between those opposed to the far-right. While it's not clear if the populist, anti-immigration RN can achieve an absolute legislative majority in the second round, if it claims the greatest number of seats in the French National Assembly it would be a dramatic moment in the country's political history.