
French President Emmanuel Macron is poised to become the first French head of government to be reelected in two decades, according to exit polling released Sunday night.
As the polls closed in France, an exit poll conducted by Ipsos-Sopra Steria projects Macron will defeat his right-wing challenger, Marine Le Pen, by more than 14 points.
- Currently, Macron, the incumbent and leader of the centrist En Marche party, is projected to receive 57.3% of the vote, compared to 42.7% for National Rally party chairwoman Le Pen.
Turnout is estimated to have reached 71.8%, down from 74.6% in the second round of voting in the previous presidential election, held in 2017.
Macron defeat Le Pen by a massive 32.2-point margin in 2017, after the two candidates topped the first round of voting.
This time, however, public opinion polls predicted a far closer race, with some surveys showing Macron’s lead smaller than the margin of error, leading left-wing rivals to call on voters to back Macron and keep Le Pen from a surprise victory.
- Le Pen’s campaign benefited from widespread frustrations over the post-COVID economic slowdown, and high inflation rates, both of which fueled anger towards the incumbent.
- While her 2017 campaign focused heavily on her pledge to curtail mass immigration and to preserve France’s national character and withdraw from the European Union, this year, Le Pen highlighted her platform’s emphasis on economic populism, in particular a focus on the cost of living.
Source: Arutz Sheva
UPDATE:
- French presidential challenger Le Pen concedes