FRANCE: Emmanuel Macron And Fascist Marine Le Pen Win First Round In Presidential Election [VIDEO]

The BBC reports:



The centrist Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen have won the first round of voting in French presidential elections, projected results say. Mr Macron won 23.7%, while Ms Le Pen won 21.7%, French TV says. The two saw off a strong challenge from centre-right François Fillon and the hard-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon, according to the projections. The pair now face a run-off vote on 7 May.

Whoever wins the next round, the voting marks a shift away from the leftist and centre-right parties that have long dominated French politics. Ms Le Pen leads the eurosceptic, anti-immigrant National Front party. She has attempted to soften the party’s tone and brought big gains in the 2015 regional elections. Mr Macron served as economy minister under current President Francois Hollande. Despite his relative inexperience – he has never served as an MP – polls see him defeating Ms Le Pen in the second round.