French far right leads after legislative elections' 1st round but rivals hope to deny it a majority

Results released early Monday show that France’s National Rally has surged into the lead in the first round of legislative elections. That brings the far-right party to the brink of power and deals a major blow to President Emmanuel Macron’s centrists. The results confirmed polling that showed the party is no longer taboo. It has a history of racism and xenophobia and was once shunned by the mainstream. There remains another torrid week of campaigning before the decisive final voting Sunday, and whether the National Rally will be able to win an outright majority and form France’s first far-right government since World War II remains uncertain.