France votes in snap polls as far right eyes power

AFP :
French people voted on Sunday in the first round of high-stakes 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.
The vote could put the far-right in power in France for the first time since the Nazi occupation in World War II.
Polling stations opened across mainland France at 8:00am local time 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.
“These are not easy elections, the results are very uncertain, and the repercussions could be serious for society,” said Julien Martin, a 38-year-old architect in the southwestern city of Bordeaux.
Voters lined up to cast their ballots in France’s Pacific territory of New Caledonia, where tensions remain high following last month’s deadly riots.
The vote is “decisive,” said Cassandre Cazaux, a nurse.