Le Pen’s far-right party wins first round of French elections as Macron’s gamble backfires
![Le Pen’s far-right party wins first round of French elections as Macron’s gamble backfires](https://s.france24.com/media/display/1c36437c-372a-11ef-8303-005056bfb2b6/w:1024/p:16x9/000_34ZY8ZD.jpg)
Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigrant National Rally led a first round of voting on Sunday in exceptionally high-stakes elections that could put France’s government in the hands of a far-right party for the first time since World War II. President Emmanuel Macron’s ruling coalition was beaten into third place by a fledgling alliance of the left as the incumbent’s gamble with a snap election backfired spectacularly.