French Election 2017:
Results and Second Round overview
Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen have taken the top two spots in the first round of the French presidential election. This marks the first time that the two main candidates for the presidency are from traditionally non-mainstream political parties.
Who won the first round of the French Presidential Election?

Pro-Europe, centrist,
new to politics
Far right nationalist,
anti-EU and anti-immigration
Conservative candidate,
free market supporter
Far-left, anti free market,
demands new EU deals
23.9%
21.4%
19.9%
19.6%
Go to second round

23.9%
Pro-Europe, centrist,
new to politics
21.4%
Far right nationalist,
anti-EU and anti-immigration
19.9%
Conservative candidate,
free market supporter
19.6%
Far-left, anti free market,
demands new EU deals
The geography of the first round
Both Macron and Le Pen will face each other on 7 May starting from radically different positions, and with a clearly defined electoral base.
This map shows the candidate who won the highest number of votes for each department in France.
Le Pen has taken vast areas of the country, especially on the eastern border of France. The National Front beat expectations in the French Riviera, winning almost all the departments. In the north, Lille, traditionally a socialist city, has moved to the more far-left Mélenchon, humiliating the socialist Benoît Hamon with less than 8% of the vote.
Macron, meanwhile, has taken most of west France, in regions predominantly right-wing but disillusioned by mainstream parties.

23.9%
Traditionally socialist city, the PS lost
most of its support, with Benoît Hamon
totalling less than 8% of the votes.
21.4%
19.9%
19.6%
Won most of the north
departments, strengthening
the National Front position in
regions with high
unemployment rates.
Didn't manage to get through to the second
round struggling against Le Pen in many regions,
including his home one, where he totalled less
than 30% of the vote.
Won with a big margin in the Bordeaux region:
a crucial central-left area, foreshadowing a possible
victory in the second round.
Nice
Has always been a right wing city. Not anymore.
Compared to the previous election, Marine Le Pen
has surged in all the Mediterranean departments

23.9%
21.4%
19.9%
19.6%
1
2
3
4
5
1 - Lille,
Traditionally socialist city, the PS lost
most of its support, with Benoît Hamon
totalling less than 8% of the votes.
2 - Marine Le Pen,
Won most of the north departments, strengthening
the National Front position in regions with high
unemployment rates.
3 - François Fillon,
Didn't manage to get through to the second
round, struggling against Le Pen in many regions,
including his home one, where he totalled less
than 30% of the vote.
4 - Emmanuel Macron,
Won with a big margin in the Bordeaux region:
a crucial central-left area, foreshadowing a possible
victory in the second round.
5 - Nice,
Has always been a right wing city. Not anymore.
Compared to the previous election, Marine Le Pen
has surged in all the Mediterranean departments
Macron vs Le Pen: where they won
These more detailed maps show the composition of the Macron and Le Pen voters.
The National Front candidate won the areas she campaigned most decisively in during recent months. These regions are also the ones that have the highest immigration fears and rising unemployment: two key battlegrounds for Le Pen.
Macron's En Marche! has, instead, won in economically dynamic regions and in large cities concentrated in the centre-west of the country, like Paris and Bordeaux. In these areas, Macron's pro-EU and pro-business positions have helped him win the trust of the more progressive French population, including the young and those with a higher education.

Macron
Le Pen
10%
20%
30%
10%
20%
30%

Macron
10%
20%
30%
Le Pen
10%
20%
30%
Second round: the last step
The French electoral system dictates that unless one of the candidates receives 50% of the votes in the first poll - which is usually an impossibility given the large number of candidates - the two with the most votes will face each other in a second, decisive round on 7 May.
Since the beginning of the presidential campaign, pollsters have always given Macron a clear advantage over Le Pen. Will he be able to stay in front until 7 May?

Second round
First round
80%
Macron
59.0%
60%
40%
Le Pen
41.0%
20%
23
7
February
March
April
May
April
May

Second
round
First round
80%
Macron
59.0%
60%
40%
Le Pen
41.0%
20%
23
7
May
February
March
April
April
May