Voting under way in historic French election that could hand victory to far-right National Rally

Far-right National Rally party president Jordan Bardella, right, leaves with far-right leader Marine Le Pen after a press conference (AP)

Irish Independent Newdesk

Voting has begun in mainland France on Sunday in pivotal runoff elections that could hand a historic victory to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally and its inward-looking, anti-immigrant vision or produce a hung parliament and political deadlock.

French president Emmanuel Macron took a huge gamble in dissolving parliament and calling for the elections after his centrists were trounced in European elections on June 9.