 A left-wing coalition called the New Popular Front gained the largest number of seats, and a centrist group allied to President Macron was next on the podium, with the far right squeezed out in dozens of races by the left and the centre, combining forces tactically. But with none of the blocs getting anything close to the 289 seats needed for a majority, an election that was designed, in Emmanuel Macron's words, to bring clarification after his party was soundly beaten by the national rally in last month's European vote,