A leftist coalition in France has emerged as the surprising victor after the second and decisive round of voting in legislative elections Sunday. The newly formed New Popular Front finished ahead of President Emmanuel Macron's centrist coalition and Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally party.

The electoral triumph of the new alliance was a shock to many, after decades in which the French left has been defined by its deep divisions. But the strong performance by Le Pen's anti-immigrant movement in the first round inspired the country's various leftist forces to band together. Now, France may be entering a period of political gridlock as it figures out how exactly it will govern a divided country.