Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen finished top in the first round of the French presidential election and now face each other in a run-off on 24 April that will determine who occupies the Élysée Palace for the next five years.
The outgoing president won 27.8% of the first-round vote, while the leader of the far-right nationalist Rassemblement National (National Rally) managed 23.1%. Of the 10 other candidates in the field, only far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon exceeded 10%, scoring 22%.
The second round run-off is a repeat of the 2017 election, when Macron defeated Le Pen with 66.1% of the vote against her 33.9%, but looks set to be a great deal closer. Le Pen, who has focused her campaign on the cost of living crisis, will gain the backing of many voters who supported the far-right TV pundit Éric Zemmour.
Macron, who is fighting more active second round promoting his solid economic record and crisis management, will collect votes from the more mainstream right and left and the Greens, but will also need the backing of some who voted for Mélenchon - many of whom would rather abstain or vote Le Pen.
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