SEE: Those leading the French Presidential Elections
Centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen are set to face each other in a May 7 runoff for the French presidency after coming first and second in Sunday’s first round of voting, early projections have indicated.
In a race that was too close to call up to the last minute, Mr Macron, a pro-European Union ex-banker and economy minister who founded his own party only a year ago, was projected to get 24 percent by the pollster Harris and 23.7 percent by Elabe and Ipsos.
Ms Le Pen, leader of the anti-immigration and anti-EU National Front, was given 22 percent by both institutes. Three further pollsters all projected broadly similar results.
Though Mr Macron, 39, is a comparative political novice who has never held elected office, opinion polls in the run-up to the ballot have consistently seen him winning the final clash against the 48-year-old Ms Le Pen easily.
Defeated Socalist candidate Benoit Hamon urged voters to rally behind Mr Macron in the second round, as did senior conservative lawmaker Francois Baroin from the camp of defeated right-wing candidate Francois Fillon.
Harris gave both Mr Fillon and far-left contender Jean-Luc Melenchon 20 percent, which will mean their elimination from the race.
French far-Right leader Marine Le Pen has claimed victory in the first-round presidential race and says that her National Front party will represent “the great alternative” to the French people.
With a broad smile, Ms Le Pen has stood before an adoring crowd and pledged to open a much-needed debate on globalisation.
Ms Le Pen told her supporters “I would like to express my most profound gratitude”. She said she was offering ‘the great alternative’ in the presidential race.
Her speech ended with the French national anthem.
French far-Right leader Marine Le Pen has claimed victory in the first-round presidential race and says that her National Front party will represent “the great alternative” to the French people.
With a broad smile, Ms Le Pen has stood before an adoring crowd and pledged to open a much-needed debate on globalisation.
Ms Le Pen told her supporters “I would like to express my most profound gratitude”. She said she was offering ‘the great alternative’ in the presidential race.
“This result is historic, the first step has been taken,” she told cheering supporters. “It is time to liberate the French people.”
Her speech ended with the French national anthem.
Le Pen has campaigned to leave the European Union, protect France’s borders, clamp down on immigration, and expel Islamic extremists.
Her success, along with that of centrist newcomer Emmanuel Macron, leaves the May 7 runoff without a mainstream political candidate for the first time in modern French history.
