France votes in snap polls as far right eyes power [Video]

Polls opened in France on Sunday for the first round of snap parliamentary elections which could see the far-right party of Marine Le Pen take power in a historic first.

With Russia’s war against Ukraine in its third year and energy and food prices much higher, support for the anti-immigration and eurosceptic National Rally (RN) party has surged despite President Emmanuel Macron’s pledges to prevent its ascent.

Polling stations opened across mainland France at 8:00 am (0600 GMT) and will close 12 hours later, immediately followed by projections that usually predict the result with a degree of accuracy.

Voters in France’s overseas territories that span the globe cast ballots earlier in the weekend. Some 49 million people are eligible to vote.

Cassandre Cazaux, a nurse who voted in France’s Pacific territory of New Caledonia, where tensions remain high following last month’s deadly riots, said the elections were “decisive”.

“It should …