Candidates exit French runoff to stop far right

Le Pen's party to enter 'cohabitation' period with Macron if it wins election

PARIS — More than 200 centrist and left-wing candidates pulled out of France's legislative election runoff by a Tuesday deadline, in a move President Emmanuel Macron hopes will block the far right from winning power.

France votes on Sunday in the final round of snap legislative polls Macron called to seek a "clarification" in politics after his camp was trounced in European elections last month.

His gamble backfired, with the far-right National Rally, or RN, of Marine Le Pen winning the June 30 first round. But the key suspense now is whether the RN can get enough seats to form government.