French election results: Macron will face Le Pen in second round head-to-head

Blog: LSE EuroppBlog, 24.04.17: Experts react: Macron and Le Pen advance to the run-off in the French presidential election (link via related url hyperlinks above)

Expert contributions include:
+ Marta Lorimer: Macron is expected to win the election, but it is still unclear whether he will be able to govern
+ Thomas Vitiello: The recomposition of the French left has started
+ David Lees: It would be unwise to write off Le Pen just yet
+ Andrew Glencross: Neither candidate would have made it this far if it was not for the confluence of short-term and long-term crises in French society
+ Nick Parsons: The blurring of ideological divisions may make the run-off vote closer than expected
After the first round of voting in France's Presidential Election on the 23 April 2017 the results showed that Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen led the field of eleven candidates.

Thus, centrist, social-liberal Macron with 23.75% of the vote and rightwing nationalist Le Pen with 21.53% of the vote would take part in the second round of voting on the 7 May 2017.

Conservative candidate François Fillon won 19.91% of the vote and the far left’s Jean-Luc Mélenchon 19.64%. Socialist Benoît Hamon received 6.35%. 77% of registered voters too part in the election.

The existing Prime Minister of France Bernard Cazeneuve, and President François Hollande, and defeated candidates from the mainstream parties Benoît Hamon and François Fillon, all told their supporters to vote for Emmanuel Macron in the second round. The European Commission President and leading mainstream German politicans were also said to have congratulated Mr Macron.

Commentators also noted that whoever won the Presidential Election on the 7 May 2017, there was also a French legislative election soon after in June 2017. The working relationship between the new President and the political make-up of the National Assembly would be crucial.

• Primary Source

Politico, 23.04.17: Macron, Le Pen face off for French presidency http://www.politico.eu/article/french-election-result-emmanuel-macron-marine-le-pen-projection/

ESO: Key source: France Presidential Election 2017 http://www.europeansources.info/record/french-presidential-election-2017/

ESO: Find further information on this topic in ESO http://www.europeansources.info/advSearchLink?keyword=france%20presidential%20election%202017%20&searchOption=all

The Local.fr, 24.04.17: [Analysis]: France is now in uncharted territory and the journey is just beginning https://www.thelocal.fr/20170424/france-election-macron-le-pen-first-round-results-analysis-is-now-in-uncharted-waters-this-is-only-the-first-stage

France24, 24.04.17: Macron faces Le Pen for French presidency as mainstream parties bow out early http://www.france24.com/en/20170423-france-macron-faces-le-pen-french-presidency-election-mainstream-parties-bow-out-early

Deutsche Welle, 24.04.17: German and European politicians hail first-round win for France's Macron http://p.dw.com/p/2bm00

BBC News, 24.04.17: French election: Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen to fight for presidency http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39689385

The Guardian, 24.04.17: 'Great for Europe': reaction to Macron's first round success in French election https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/24/great-for-europe-reaction-to-macrons-first-round-success-in-french-election

EUObserver, 24.04.17: Voters 'change face' of French politics https://euobserver.com/elections/137640

EurActiv, 24.04.17: Historic French election upheaval sets up second round clash over EU http://www.euractiv.com/section/elections/news/historic-french-election-upheaval-sets-up-second-round-clash-over-europe/

EurActiv, 24.04.17: Europe’s populist wave crashes as Macron soars into French runoff http://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/europes-populist-wave-crashes-as-macron-soars-into-french-runoff/

The Conversation, 23.04.17: Macron and Le Pen to face off for French presidency – but she won’t be pleased with first round result https://theconversation.com/macron-and-le-pen-to-face-off-for-french-presidency-but-she-wont-be-pleased-with-first-round-result-76565

The New York Times, 23.04.17: Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen Advance in French Election https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/23/world/europe/emmanuel-macron-marine-le-pen-france-election.html

Euro|Topics: Debates, April 2017: French election: Can Europe relax now? http://www.eurotopics.net/en/178079/french-election-can-europe-relax-now

Euro|Topics: Debates, April 2017: A hammering for France's traditional parties http://www.eurotopics.net/en/178076/a-hammering-for-france-s-traditional-parties

Blog: LSE EuroppBlog, 24.04.17: Experts react: Macron and Le Pen advance to the run-off in the French presidential election http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2017/04/24/experts-react-first-round-french-presidential-election/

Blog: Carnegie Europe: Strategic Europe, 24.04.17: [Opinon]: France’s Choice, Europe’s Future (bu Judy Dempsey) http://carnegieeurope.eu/strategiceurope/68746?lang=en

Blog: Open Europe, 24.04.17: Macron and Le Pen: Finalists in a historic French election http://openeurope.org.uk/today/blog/macron-le-pen-finalists-historic-french-election/

BBC News, 24.04.17: French election: Hollande urges nation to back Macron and reject Le Pen http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-39695686

The Local.fr, 24.04.17: 'May 7th without me': Angry French voters vow to abstain in second round https://www.thelocal.fr/20170424/may-7th-without-me-angry-french-voters-vow-to-abstain-in-second-round

European Leadership Network: Article, 24.04.17: Why the French Battle for Europe Doesn’t End in May http://www.europeanleadershipnetwork.org/why-the-french-battle-for-europe-doesnt-end-in-may_4701.html

The Conversation, 24.04.17: French election: how the vote came to be so split https://theconversation.com/french-election-how-the-vote-came-to-be-so-split-76615

---