Far-right in France scores largest vote since WWII
Emmanuel Macron called this snap poll just a few weeks ago to try to head off the rise of the far right in his country. Well, it's had the opposite effect. National Rally, the far right party headed by Marine Le Pen, has had its best turnout ever, and certainly the best the far rise had in France since World War 2. Assisted by the charismatic and popular young leader of the party, Jordan Bardella turn out was huge, the biggest in decades. 67% of French voted and National Rally got about 1/3 of the vote. New Popular Front, which represents a block of left wing parties was next and following distantly behind was Mr. Macron's alliance in the centre. This is just the first round of voting and so we'll go to a runoff next Sunday which will see just how many seats each of these groups gets in the next parliament. But it does leave open the possibility that Mister Macron will have a Prime Minister who's his open nemesis when it comes to the next parliament, all to be decided in the next tense few days of French campaigning.