Supporters of Pen’s anti-immigration RN cheered as she said the president’s “Macronist bloc has been all but wiped out”.

RN was on course to win 33.2% of the vote, with a left-wing alliance behind on 28.1%, and the Macron alliance behind on 21%.

“I aim to be prime minister for all the French people, if the French give us their votes,” said 28-year-old RN party leader Jordan Bardella.

An absolute majority of 289 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly needed to form the government. However, seat projections for next Sunday’s second round run-off votes suggest they may fall short, according to BBC.

Without an absolute majority, France will have a hung parliament and RN will be unable to push through its plans for immigration, tax cuts and law and order.

President Emmanuel Macron stunned the country by calling the snap election after the RN surged in European Parliament elections last month, gambling that the anti-immigration party would not repeat that success at the national level.