French President Emmanuel Macron looks down during the traditional Lily of the valley ceremony at the Elysee Palace in Paris Saturday May 1, 2021.

French election: Six key takeaways as Macron falls short of an absolute majority

Macron candidates won 245 seats, ahead of the left-wing coalition NUPES and its allies on 131 seats, while the far-right National Rally achieved a historic breakthrough with 89 seats.