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Macron

Outsider Macron, Le Pen face-off in French second round

PARIS, April 24, 2017

Emmanuel Macron, a centrist who is seen as a political outsider, will face far-right leader Marine Le Pen in the second round of the French presidential election.

Macron, a former banker, who has never run an election campaign before, is the favourite to win the run-off on May 7 after topping Sunday's vote, said a BBC report.
 
It is the first time in six decades that neither of France's main left-wing or right-wing parties has had a candidate in the second round, the report said.

With 97 per cent of votes counted, Macron received 23.9 per cent of the votes and Le Pen 21.4 per cent.

Their nearest challengers, centre-right François Fillon and hard-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon, fell behind, with just over 19 per cent each.

In a speech to supporters, Macron borrowed language favoured by his rival to describe himself as the patriotic choice for France. "I hope that in a fortnight I will become your president. I want to become the president of all the people of France - the president of the patriots in the face of the threat from the nationalists," he said.

Le Pen also made an "appeal to all patriots", saying a vote for her was the key to the "survival of France".




Tags: France | Le Pen |

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