STORY: Exit polls showed that Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party won the first round of parliamentary elections in France on Sunday, but the final result will depend on days of hard bargaining before the second round of voting next week.
Sunday's outcome is a major blow to President Emmanuel Macron, who stunned the nation when he called for snap elections after his party was trounced by the National Rally party in European Parliament elections earlier this month.
In a speech to supporters Sunday night, Le Pen said her party's victory was decisive.
"My dear compatriots, democracy has spoken, and the French people have placed the National Rally and its allies on top and have practically wiped out President Macron's party."
The results were in line with opinion polls ahead of the election, but provided little clarity on whether Le Pen's anti-immigrant, eurosceptic party will be able to form a government and coexist with the pro-EU Macron after next Sunday's second round of voting is concluded.
A week of tough political decisions now lies ahead.
In the past, center-right and center-left parties have teamed up to keep the National Rally from power, but that dynamic is less certain than ever.
A longtime pariah, the far-right National Rally is now closer to power than it has ever been.
Le Pen has sought to clean up the image of her party, known for racism and antisemitism. Her efforts appear to have worked amid voter anger at Macron, the high cost of living and growing concerns over immigration.
