French far-right leads after first round of legislative elections

Marked by high turnout of nearly 68%, voters handed the Marine Le Pen’s National Rally a strong lead, with about 33% of the vote.

France’s National Rally surged into the lead in the first round of legislative elections, according to results released early Monday, taking the far-right party to the brink of power and dealing a major blow to President Emmanuel Macron’s centrists in an election that could set the country, and Europe, on a starkly different course.