Fears of French civil war after Marine Le Pen's hard-Right party victory in election called by 'reckless' Macron that saw clashes in streets

France was gripped by political turmoil yesterday after Marine Le Pen's hard-Right party won the first round of a snap election.

Violence erupted on the streets of Paris after the results were declared, as demonstrators smashed shop windows, set rubbish ablaze and launched flares.

Riot police clashed with protesters in the Place de la Republique, a focus for angry demonstrations against the rise of Le Pen's party National Rally (RN).

The party took 33 per cent of all votes in the first round of the national elections, leaving President Emmanuel Macron's centrist alliance to trail in third place behind a Left-wing coalition.

French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal warned RN was at the 'gates of power' and urged parties to work together to block the hard-Right from winning an outright majority. Polls suggest RN is the only party that could win outright in Sunday's second round of voting, although they predict it is likely to fall short of the 289 seats needed for an absolute majority in the 577-seat National Assembly.

People gather to protest against the French far-right Rassemblement National party following partial results in the first round of the elections, in Paris, France, on June 30

France's President Emmanuel Macron and his wife First Lady Brigitte Macron

RN's opponents hope tactical voting in the second round could block its path to power.

France's two-round election system means candidates in three-way contests can withdraw in an attempt to unite voters behind a single opponent. Mr Attal urged his own party's candidates to drop out if they were in third place behind RN and a Left-wing candidate, and said voters had a 'moral' duty to stop RN from winning an absolute majority.

According to a tally by French newspaper Le Monde, 169 candidates had withdrawn yesterday. The deadline for withdrawals is tonight.

RN's result on Sunday was unprecedented for a populist hard-Right party in France. The Left-wing New Popular Front alliance won 28 per cent of the vote and Macron's Ensemble won just 22 per cent.

Leader of the French far-right National Rally Marine Le Pen and lead candidate of the party for the upcoming European election Jordan Bardella during a political meeting on June 2, 2024, in Paris

French people protesting against the far-right Rassemblement National during the elections

If RN wins an outright majority, it could form France's first hard-Right government since the Second World War and install Le Pen protege Jordan Bardella as Prime Minister.

Intense negotiations were under way between its rivals over which candidates should drop out from three-way races, known as 'triangulaires'. Left-wing MEP Raphael Glucksmann said: 'We have seven days to spare France from catastrophe.'

Mr Macron has previously warned that a win for RN could set France on a path to civil war. He declared the snap election after his party suffered a humiliating defeat in the European Parliament elections, where RN won 32 per cent of the vote in France. His critics accused him of taking a reckless gamble with France's political future.

RN, which has a history of racism, has said it would curb immigration and boost police powers.

On Sunday night, after the first round votes were declared, Mr Macron called for a 'broad' alliance against RN, but questioned whether it should include Left-wing party France Unbowed (LFI), led by Jean-Luc Melenchon and part of the New Popular Front alliance.

Its firebrand leader Mr Melenchon is a deeply divisive figure in French politics, thanks to his tax-and-spend proposals and class war rhetoric.

Mr Bardella, 28, urged voters to deliver an outright win for his party.

He said France faced an 'existential threat' from the Left-wing, who he dubbed 'agents of chaos'.