France's Pivotal Elections: High Stakes and Historic Potential

Voting took place in France, potentially giving Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally a historic win or resulting in a hung parliament. The elections will influence geopolitical events, including Ukraine's war, and impact President Macron's ability to govern. High voter turnout indicates the high stakes involved.

Voting was underway in France on Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision — or produce a hung parliament and political deadlock.

The snap legislative elections in this nuclear-armed nation and major economy will influence the war in Ukraine, global diplomacy and Europe's economic stability, and they're almost certain to undercut French President Emmanuel Macron for the remaining three years of his presidency. He took a huge gamble in dissolving parliament and calling for the vote after his centrists were trounced in European elections on June 9.

The first round on June 30 saw the largest gains ever for the nationalist National Rally, which came out on top.

Over 49 million people are registered to vote in the elections, that will determine which party controls the 577-member National Assembly, France's influential lower house of parliament, and who will be prime minister. If support is further eroded for Macron's weak centrist majority, he will be forced to share power with parties opposed to most of his pro-business, pro-European Union policies.

(With inputs from agencies.)