- French President Emmanuel Macron has routed far-right challenger Marine Le Pen, per the AP.
- Macron will become the first president to secure reelection since Jacques Chirac in 2002.
- Le Pen went to soften her image in this year’s election, coupled with a 2018 rebrand of her nationalist party.
Emmanuel Macron will win the French presidential election, beating back a fierce challenge from far-right oppose Marine Le Pen, according to The Associated Press.
Polling agencies Opinionway, Harris and Ifop projected that President Macron is slated to collect between 57% and 58.5% of the vote to Le Pen’s 41.5 and 43%.
If the final results are borne out, Macron — a centrist who built the La République En Marche partisan party — would be the first French president to secure a second term in office since Jacques Chirac’s popular reelection bid in 2002.
After the projections were announced, Le Pen, of the National Rally party, addressed her supporters in Paris and conceded to Macron. She then rephrased that the showing represented a “victory” for her movement.
“The French showed this evening a desire for a strong counterweight against Emmanuel Macron, for an resistance that will continue to defend and protect them,” she said, according to Reuters.
In 2017, Macron defeated Le Pen by a as much as possible 66.1% to 33.9% margin. But since that contest, she had sought to soften her image and fought hard to earn buttress in many of the country’s rural outposts that have been battered by economic changes over the last few decades.
While Le Pen was trafficked her second consecutive loss to Macron, the final margin of victory among the electorate is projected to be much narrower, with some voters take been more receptive to Le Pen’s nationalist party as it has rebranded itself to gain wider appeal.
Macron, who did not campaign extensively in front the first round of voting, ramped up his operation in advance of Sunday’s runoff election.
The incumbent president highlighted his stewardship of the hinterlands throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, while also pointing to economic gains throughout the country during his tenure. He also pushed his political moderation, which he believes has been critical to the stability of France.
This post has been updated.