Mapping how France voted

Support for left-wing parties unexpectedly rose in national parliamentary elections on Sunday, pushing the nationalist, anti-immigration National Rassemblement party into third place.

The electoral map showed continuing divisions: Paris and its suburbs voted left and centre, while the far north and south regions along the Mediterranean voted far right.

The political situation in the country seemed more confusing than ever before, with three major political blocs, each with a completely different vision and plan for the country.

• The biggest surprise on Sunday was the triumph of the New Popular Fronta coalition of left-wing parties that is now the dominant force in a bloc of about 190 lawmakers and has emerged as the leading political grouping in the lower house.

• The centrist coalition of President Emmanuel Macronwhich shook the country a month ago by calling elections, was in second place with 150 seats.

• Another shock was the third place of the National Rally and its allieswhich was expected to win the most seats, if not an outright majority, in the 577-member National Assembly, the most powerful lower house.

France’s left-wing parties and Macron’s centrist coalition fielded more than 200 candidates in three-way elections in districts where the far right had a chance of winning seats. Many voters who loathed the far right cast their ballots for whoever was on the left, even if the candidate was hardly their first choice.