Comment on France's left-wing alliance blocks a far-right majority, projection shows

Voters delivered a blow to France's far-right bloc, the National Rally, after projections showed the leftist New Popular Front ahead in the polls.Luc Auffret/Anadolu via Getty ImagesPresident Emmanuel Macron took a huge bet by calling for a surprise election in France.Macron risked losing what little power he had in the National Assembly to France's far-right bloc.Voters rebuked the far-right party on Sunday, but now no political party holds a majority.French voters are projected to rebuke the country's far-right, anti-immigration National Rally party, but no clear majority emerged on Sunday, leaving President Emmanuel Macron's centrist alliance further weakened and France on a path towards political gridlock.Macron took a huge bet in June by calling for a surprise snap legislative election soon after the National Rally, France's far-right bloc led by Marine Le Pen, trounced the president's centrist Renaissance party in the European Parliament elections with more than twice the amount of votes for his coalition.The results pushed Macron's hand to dissolve the National Assembly — France's lower house that holds more prominence in the Parliament due to its ability to pass laws — and make a huge gamble by calling for an early election.By doing so, Macron hoped the voters would establish a stronger mandate in the lower house and strengthen his influence on the world stage.