“France’s fight is only just beginning. Dear friends, French people, nothing will ever be the same. Because against the whole system, facing lies and false polls, together we all blew apart the monopoly… of the two parties, of the banks, of finance.” Marine Le Pen
Socialist favourite François Hollande led President Nicolas Sarkozy by about 28.5 percent to 26 percent in the first round, meaning the two will meet in a head-to-head decider on May 6 that may be closer than had been expected.
But Ms Le Pen’s record score of 18 percent was the sensation of the night, and outpolling hard leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon in fourth place on 11 percent. Centrist Francois Bayrou finished fifth on less than nine percent.
“This first round is the start of a vast gathering of right-wing patriots,” she told cheering supporters at her campaign headquarters, without endorsing either of the finalists.
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