As the final polls closed in the most momentous election in recent memory, hundreds of people milled about, waiting to find out what lay in store for France.
Just after 8pm, Florent Martins came running through the plaza, mobile in hand. "We won," the 23-year-old yelled out, his voice shaking with disbelief as those around him exploded into cheers and hearty applause. "The left won!"
Exit polls last night suggested that a broad leftwing alliance was on track to become the biggest force in the French parliament in a shock win, with the New Popular Front predicted to take 180-205 seats, according to projections by Ifop pollsters.
Emmanuel Macron's centrist grouping, Ensemble, was in second place, projected to take between 164-174 seats, representing a loss of up to 85 seats but a stronger showing than expected. Marine Le Pen's far-right, anti-immigration National Rally (RN) was predicted to come third with 130-145 seats, along with its allies on the right.
"It's so good," said Martins. "I've been in a panic all day." Nearby, Veronique Leporte, 69, described the results as stunning. "It's a huge relief," she said. "We were so scared."
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