Marine and Macron win the first round of the French election; 93% counted
Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron have emerged as the victors of the first round of the French Presidential Election. Macron garnered the most votes, securing 23.8% of the vote, while Marine won 21.7%. The two candidates will now compete in the second round of the election to be held on May 7.
The results have reasonably reflected predictions made by pollsters, with Macron and Marine coming on top followed by Fillon and Melenchen.
Francois Fillon of the Republican party came third with 20% of the vote. He was the candidate for France’s establishment centre-right party. Far-left Jean-Luc Melenchen arrived fourth with 19.5% of the vote.
Benoit Hamon only secured a measly 6.3%. The candidate for France’s establishment left-wing party, the Socialists, was most likely hindered by the current Socialist President’s disappointing performance in his role.
Speculations abound for what will happen in the second round. It is likely that Macron will receive support from many Republican voters due to him being the most economically right wing out of the pair along with his support for the European Union.
Many more socially conservative and authoritarian-oriented Republican voters could also opt for Marine. This demographic would also tend to be more patriotic, which could further encourage them to choose Marine.
Melenchen voters are another lucrative source of support for Marine due to their hatred towards the EU and globalism. Marine has always stated that the current political divide is not between left and right, but between “patriots and globalists”. This rhetoric can work well in attracting them.
Despite the far-left being globalist in its own way, it is only logical for them to support the anti-EU, anti-globalism during this election. However, many socially progressive Melenchen voters may choose Macron.