When President Emmanuel Macron shocked France last month by calling a snap election, he was gambling with the future of Europe as well as his own country.
While much depends on the second round of voting on Sunday, it already seems clear that Macron's role as a driver of European integration will be significantly diminished.
The two most likely scenarios — a government led by the far-right National Rally of Marine Le Pen or a hung parliament — would present unprecedented challenges for the European Union.