France stands at a pivotal juncture as the nation grapples with the fallout from a snap election called by President Emmanuel Macron after he dissolved parliament.

The first round of the election saw Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National (RN), an anti-mass immigration party, leading the polls, raising the prospect of an RN government. However, in an unexpected twist, 224 candidates withdrew to support the far-left, open-borders party, Front Populaire, leading to their surprising victory.

FRANCE ELECTION 🇫🇷 UPDATE!

Marine Le Pen's party came in third place despite receiving the most votes due to a collaboration between the far-left, Islamists and establishment centre.

I'm still here on the ground to talk to the locals for their thoughts on the future of the… pic.twitter.com/EjDYULNzbG

— Alexandra Lavoie (@ThevoiceAlexa) July 8, 2024

"Do you see a future for France?" we asked several Parisians.

 "I hope so," said one. "Yes, of course, but it's a tough time to get through," he added, highlighting the complexity of the current situation. "It's going to be complicated," one person remarked, capturing the prevailing sentiment of uncertainty. "There are plenty of desperate people," noted another, reflecting on the socio-economic challenges facing many citizens.

INSANITY in PARIS!

Lots of young people, saying everyone hate facist, lots of radical left and Antifa. Mostly young people. Massive riots expected.

This comes after the far left New Popular Front is expected to win over Marine Le Pen in today's election.

Stay tuned and support… pic.twitter.com/IIVsKDTc6T

— Alexandra Lavoie (@ThevoiceAlexa) July 7, 2024

The election has brought to the fore deep-seated issues within French society. "For example, I wouldn't be able to have children if I wanted to today because I work a lot in a small business, often more than thirty-five hours. Culturally, we're in a slump. Honestly, the future, yes, it's coming, but it's not encouraging," shared one interviewee. The atmosphere in France is "a bit tense," with people finding it increasingly difficult to express their thoughts freely without fear of being labelled.

When asked about President Macron's declining support, opinions were sharp. "He came in and kind of cleaned up all the parties, breaking down the right and the left. But his governance style has been very top-down, which the French don't like," said one. "We had the Yellow Vests, riots after Nahel's death, pension reform, and frequent use of Article 49.3. It was a very top-down way of governing," they elaborated.

"I didn't vote for Macron. Initially, he seemed like the champion of astonishing declarations, but in reality, change is hard," expressed another. "He made a huge mistake by dissolving parliament. It's his ego speaking, and he's less smart than he thinks," said another person.

"Gaza Gaza, Paris is with you"

A chant sung by the crowd in support of Palestinians.https://t.co/ikWHGQgpHW pic.twitter.com/VnwlDiYEFC

— Alexandra Lavoie (@ThevoiceAlexa) July 7, 2024

The rise of antisemitism and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict's impact on French society also sparked concern. "The rampant, growing antisemitism since October seventh is troubling," shared one respondent. "The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been imported here, with people taking sides without understanding the situation."