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French Presidential Elections: Macron, Le Pen Lead in 1st Round

French Presidential Elections: Macron, Le Pen Lead in 1st Round
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Local Editor

Preliminary data of the French Interior Ministry showed that Emmanuel Macron of the centrist En Marche! Movement and Marine Le Pen of the National Front advanced to the second round of the presidential elections in France.

French Presidential Elections: Macron, Le Pen Lead in 1st Round

Macron won 23.75 percent of the votes, while his rival Le Pen got 21.53 percent, the Interior Ministry final figures showed, as cited by Reuters.

Meanwhile, republican Francois Fillon and independent leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon got 19.91 percent and 19.64 percent, respectively.

The Interior Ministry published a map showing the areas of the country where the candidates are in the lead.

Northern and eastern France showed support for Marine Le Pen, while western and southwestern France said ‘Oui' to Emmanuel Macron.

On Sunday evening, Macron addressed his supporters, telling the crowd: "In one year, we have changed the face of French politics."

He thanked the millions who voted for him and former competitors Francois Fillon [Republican Party] and Benoit Hamon [Socialist Party] for their endorsement in the second-round runoff.

Marine Le Pen, in her turn addressed her supporters, saying that a great debate about globalization can now finally take place. She also said that she will "free the French people from arrogant elites," adding that the country's "survival is at stake."

Left-wing socialist Melenchon called for "restraint" over any preliminary results.

Saying that he does not yet accept defeat, the candidate refused to validate any but the official results of the voting, which, he said, will be "respected."

After the full official results of the first round of voting are announced on Wednesday, April 26, at 5pm Paris time, the top two candidates will then proceed to a run-off vote on May 7.

France's Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve called on all democrats to vote for Macron in the second round.

Speaking at his campaign HQ following the voting, Les Republicains' Francois Fillon called for a vote for Macron in the second round. Saying that "extremism can bring nothing but pain," in an apparent reference to Macron's main rival, the National Front's Le Pen, Fillon said he would not abstain while "an extremist" party is approaching power.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team

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