French Election

Le Pen’s RN scores historic gains in first-round vote, raising spectre of France’s first far-right govt since WW2

Compared to 2022, far-right gained 14 points, left added 2 points, Macron's alliance lost 6 in first round

Poll projects National Rally will fall short of majority despite leading first round ahead of final showdown on Sunday

49M voters are eligible to cast ballots after President Macron called snap elections on June 9

Le Pen's National RN as a anti-immigrant party was a longtime pariah but is now closer to power than it has ever been

Thousands of documents belonging to Macron's En Marche! movement were dumped online

Corinne Erhel collapsed on stage during a speech at a campaign rally

Sarkozy piled pressure on the candidate ahead of a crisis meeting

Opinion polls put Macron among the leading candidates in a close-fought presidential race

Sarkozy was eliminated in November in the first round of a primary contest

Trump's stunning ascent to the White House loomed large over the last of three debates among the seven candidates