France poll runoff: Macron vs Le Pen
Macron only obstacle to anti-EU Le Pen
The surge of far-right ideology that has given power to populist leaders, like US President Donald Trump, is headed for its biggest obstacle yet in France—Emmanuel Macron. Poll results pit Macron against Marine Le Pen in a runoff on May 7. Survey results give Macron a comfortable lead over Le Pen, who wants to virtually close France to the outside world.
PARIS— Pro-European Em- manuel Macron is set to face far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in France’s presidential runoff, results showed Monday, making him a clear favorite to emerge as the country’s youngest leader in its history.
Macron topped Sunday’s first round with 23.9 percent of votes, slightly ahead of National Front (FN) leader Le Pen with 21.4 percent, according to near-final results from the interior ministry.
They will contest the runoff on May 7.
“For months and again today I’ve heard the doubts, the anger and the fears of the French people. Their desire for change too,” the 39-year-old Macron told thousands of cheering supporters in Paris.
He pledged to unite “patriots” behind his agenda to renew French politics and modernize the country against Le Pen and “the threat of nationalists.”
The euro rose sharply against the dollar as fears of France pulling out of the single currency and European Union receded following the breakthrough of Macron, former economy minister under outgoing Socialist President Francois Hollande.
Famous romance
An ex-investment banker whose marriage to his former school teacher has fascinated France, Macron said the results were a clear rejection of traditional parties.
Neither candidate from the mainstream Republicans and Socialists made it through to the second round for the first time in six decades, in a stunning shakeup of national politics.
“The challenge is to break completely with the system which has been unable to find solutions to the problems of our country for more than 30 years,” Macron said, already eyeing crucial parliamentary elections in June.
The outcome capped an extraordinary campaign in a deeply divided and demoralized France, which has been hit by a series of terror attacks since 2015 and remains stuck with low economic growth.
Macron ahead
Le Pen hailed a “historic vote” in front of her supporters, adding: “The first stage has been passed.” Macron, who had never before stood for election and only started his grassroots centrist movement 12 months ago, will go into the runoff as the clear front runner.
New polls released Sunday evening showed probusiness Macron easily beating Le Pen, who has hardened her antiimmigration and anti-Europe rhetoric over the last week.
The French vote was being closely watched as a bellwether for populist sentiment following the election of Donald Trump as US President and Britain’s vote to leave the EU.
Le Pen said the second round would be a battle over France’s future, with her vision of a France out of the EU and behind reinforced borders radically different from her opponent’s.
“The major issue of this election is runaway globalization, which is putting our civilization in danger,” she told supporters.