Paris | A left-wing coalition is on course to win the most seats in France’s legislative election in a surprise blow to far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who had hoped to form the next government.

The New Popular Front, which includes the Socialists and far-left France Unbowed, is poised to get between 172 and 210 seats in the National Assembly, according to early projections from five polling companies. That is still far short of the 289 required for an absolute majority in the 577-seat lower house.

Bloomberg