Centrist independent Emmanuel Macron led the first round of France’s presidential election on Sunday, and will face far-right leader Marine Le Pen in a May 7 runoff. With nearly all of the ballots counted, Macron led the 11-candidate field with just under 24 percent of the vote, followed by Le Pen with 21.4 percent. The center right’s Francois Fillon, the scandal-plagued former frontrunner, and far-left Jean-Luc Melenchon finished close behind Le Pen in a tight battle for third place. Fillon and other defeated candidates immediately threw their support to Macron.
Marine Le Pen, Emmanuel Macron advance to runoff in French election https://t.co/97p238U5s0 pic.twitter.com/TPglh3xdHu
— The Hill (@thehill) April 24, 2017