PARIS (dpa-AFX) - President Emmanuel Macron's decision to hold a snap poll only helped throw himself out of power, results from the first round of France's parliamentary elections show.
Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) party is leading with 33.15 percent of the votes polled in Sunday's parliamentary elections, followed by left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) coalition with 28 percent, according to results declared by the Interior Ministry on Monday.
Macron's ruling centrist Ensemble alliance is far behind in third place having secured 20.76 percent votes.
If no clear winner is decided in the second round of voting next Sunday, it will be a hung parliament, and France may be heading towards political uncertainty, reports say.
The anti-immigration National Rally needs 289 seats for an absolute majority to form a government in the 577-member National Assembly.
RN leader Le Pen, who ran for the French presidency in 2012, 2017, and 2022, said, 'Macronist bloc has been all but wiped out.'
'The vote taking place next Sunday is one of the most decisive in the entire history of the Fifth Republic,' said young RN party leader Jordan Bardella.
After his centrist alliance faced setback in the European parliamentary elections, Macron declared elections on June 9 with three years left for the parliament to complete its term.
Rising support for the far right was reflected in the European elections, held across the EU's 27 member states.
Macron has three years remaining in his presidential term.
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