France set to go to polls in election that could see far right become largest party

French voters face a decisive choice today in the runoff of snap parliamentary elections that could produce the country’s first far-right government since the World War II Nazi occupation — or leave it with no majority emerging at all.

Centrist President Emmanuel Macron called the snap elections three years ahead of time after his candidates were trounced in June’s legislative elections, a gamble which many observers believe backfired.

After coming out on top in the June 30 first round of the polls, the far right of three-time presidential candidate Marine Le Pen was confident her National Rally (RN) could win an absolute majority in parliament and crown her protege and party leader Jordan Bardella, 28, as prime minister.

But the last week saw more than 200 tactical-voting pacts between centre and left wing candidates in seats to prevent the RN winning in a return of the anti-far right “Republican Front” first summoned when Marine Le Pen’s father Jean-Marie faced Jacques Chirac in the run-off of 2002 presidential elections.

This left the latest polls projecting that the RN would fall well short of the 289 seats needed for an outright majority in the 577-seat National Assembly, while still being the largest party in parliament.