President Emmanuel Macron could fall short of a parliamentary majority after the French took to the polls in a first round of voting on Sunday.
Some polling companies see Mr Macron's centrist alliance scoring less than the 289 seats required.
Mr Macron's Ensemble alliance is said to be running neck-and-neck with a new left-wing alliance, Nupes, with both scoring about 25-26 per cent of the popular vote.
From these figures, polling firms projected that Ensemble would win 225 to 310 seats in the second round of voting next Sunday, possibly short of a majority.
Nupes, a newly unified alliance of leftists, Socialists, Greens and Communists, was forecast to win 150 to 220 seats, making it by far the biggest opposition force in Parliament.
If Mr Macron's coalition falls short of a majority, it is expected to lead to bill-by-bill deals with right-wing parties in Parliament, or he would have to try to poach opposition or independent MPs for his political group.
"It's a very serious warning that has been sent to Emmanuel Macron," political scientist Brice Teinturier told France 2 television.
"A majority is far from certain."
Emmanuel Macron beats Marine Le Pen in French presidential election - in pictures
Sunday's vote followed presidential elections in April in which Mr Macron secured a second term, beating far-right leader Marine Le Pen with pledges to cut taxes, reform welfare and raise the retirement age to 65 for most people.
After a dismal performance in that vote, the French left has united behind Jean-Luc Melenchon, a hard-left veteran who has a radically different programme, including lowering the retirement age, wealth taxes and increasing the minimum wage by 15 per cent.
Turnout was on course to be a record low of 47 to 47.5 per cent, polling projections showed.
"Some people say that parliamentary elections aren't important but that's not true," engineer Arnaud, 40, told AFP as he cast his vote in Paris.
"If the president doesn't win a majority he can't get anything done."
Emmanuel Macron sworn in for second term as president - in pictures
Ms Le Pen's far-right National Rally was seen as winning 10 to 45 seats nationally, potentially sharply increasing the party's representation in Parliament from its current eight seats.
The record low turnout is set to confirm the trend of dwindling interest for parliamentary elections over the past 20 years.
"The very personal nature of the presidential election still continues to interest people, but it overshadows all the other types of ballot, even the essential one which is electing the members of the national assembly," said Mathieu Gallard of the Ipsos polling group.
While Mr Macron and his EU allies breathed a heavy sigh of relief after his solid presidential victory against Ms Le Pen, the past weeks have brought no sense of a honeymoon.
Energy and food prices are soaring in France as elsewhere in Europe, the treatment of English fans at the Champions League final in Paris damaged France's image abroad, and Mr Macron has been accused by Ukraine of being too accommodating with Russia.
His new Disabilities Minister Damien Abad has faced two rape accusations, which he has vehemently denied, while new Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has yet to make an impact.
Mr Macron has made it clear that ministers who are standing in the election — including Ms Borne, who arrived on top on Sunday in her first attempt at winning a seat — will have to step down if they lose.
Europe Minister Clement Beaune, a close ally of Mr Macron and a crucial influence over France's Brexit and wider EU policies, is also standing in his first election and is considered to be in a close fight with a left-wing rival.
Emmanuel Macron inaugurated for second term as French president - video
Under France's system, a candidate needs more than half of the vote on the day, as well as the backing of at least 25 per cent of registered voters in a constituency to be elected outright in the first round.
Otherwise the top two candidates in a constituency, and any other candidate who won the backing of at least 12.5 per cent of registered voters, go forward to the second round, where the one with the most votes wins.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo
Power: 435hp at 5,900rpm
Torque: 520Nm at 1,800-5,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Price: from Dh498,542
On sale: now
more from Janine di Giovanni
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
