French President Emmanuel Macron took his re-election bid on Monday to the northern blue-collar stronghold of his rival Marine le Pen, who he will face in an April 24 runoff vote. His walkabout in Denain came as Le Pen promised to put in place a "national unity government" if she is elected to the presidency. Read our live blog below to see how all the day's events unfolded.
- President Emmanuel Macron of La République en Marche (LREM, Republic on the Move) won the first round of the French presidential election with 27.84% of the vote, an increase from his first-round score of 24.01% five years ago. Although his team are said to be “satisfied” with the improved result, the president spent Monday campaigning in far-right strongholds in the north of France.
- He will once again face Marine Le Pen, leader of the Rassemblement National (RN, National Rally), in the second round of voting after she came in second place with 23.15%, also improving her first-round tally of 21.3% from 2017. Le Pen has said that if elected, she will form a “national unity government” with politicians from other parties who share her vision. She will hold a press conference on Tuesday outlining her “vision for revitalising democracy” in France.
- Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon missed out on second place by just over one percentage point, with 21.95% of the vote. Support for Mélenchon was strongest among 18-34 year olds.
- Voter turnout for the first round was remarkably low, with 26.31% abstaining.
- The Republicans' candidate Valérie Pécresse has said that her party is facing financial ruin after she did not win the necessary five percent vote to qualify for reimbursement from the state for the cost of her seven-million-euro campaign. She has launched a national appeal for donations.
