Uncertainty in French elections, no clear majority

July 7 (UPI) -- Months of gridlock could lie ahead as no party secured a majority in the French elections, according to early projections.

Conservatives failed to reach expectations and the left was projected to make unexpected gains. The New Popular Front stood out as the front-runner, early numbers showed, but final tallies could change that. French President Emmanuel Macron 's centrist coalition lost its majority in Parliament, which could mean months of instability and lack of direction.

"Without an absolute majority, the government will be at the mercy of opposition parties banding together" to topple it, Dominique Rousseau , an emeritus professor of public law at the Panthéon-Sorbonne University in Paris, told the New York Times.

Early exit poll data show the New Popular Front would win the largest number of seats in the 577-seat National Assembly, where most legislative power resides.

Macron's centrist party, Ensemble , was in second place and the conservative National Rally in third. Polls had predicted a first-place finish for the far-right party.

Given the projected results and the relatively poor performance of Ensemble, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said he would resign Monday given the "unprecedented" political situation.

"As from tomorrow we have to work towards a new political deal which will involve all the French with clear values and guarantee a union and never yield to division," Attal said as projections began to come in.

"We must, in all this, preserve our humanity, guarantee our security, be by the side of those who believe in France."

More than two-thirds of registered voters participated in Sunday's election, up more than 20% since the last one.

Mirroring snap elections in Britain, Macros called for the election when the National Rally scored winds in European elections in June, saying it was time for " clarity ."

The move dissolved parliament and was considered a political gamble.

While polls showed the National Rally in first just after Macron announced the election, the party's support slid in the month since Macron's party made deals designed to pull support away from the far-right party.

Now, though, the country's political future remains murky.

The polls closed at 8 p.m. local time, 2 p.m. ET, and official results will continue to come in throughout Sunday night.