French voters are in a surly mood: As they headed to the polls Sunday, they stood ready to send a complete outsider-perhaps from the far left or the far right-to a runoff in the presidential election.
"Either we continue to disintegrate without any borders, without any controls, unfair worldwide competition, mass immigration and the free circulation of terrorists, or you choose France with borders".
The selection of Le Pen and Macron presents voters with the starkest possible choice between two diametrically opposed visions of the EU's future and France's place in it. Besides, his tax policy will destroy the upper-middle class in France and will transform France into the country of two classes - proletariat and very wealthy upper class.
He thanked his army of, largely, youthful followers and said he plans to now unite France behind him and secure a resounding victory in the final election on May 7.
"I have voted Socialist in the past, but Benoit Hamon's program did not convince me", said Francois Dorleans, 38, a payroll specialist from the Parisian suburb of Asnieres-sur-Seine.
"While markets had deemed a Le Pen-Macron (run-off) as the most likely outcome, there was an element of uncertainty", said Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic adviser at Allianz.
While insisting that Macron "does not belong to the left" Hamon said he made "a clear distinction between a political adversary and an enemy of the Republic" - referring to Macron and Le Pen respectively. "Candidates who want fewer security measures, who want to reduce the police's powers, have not got my vote", he said. "We are, without doubt, beginning a new era".
Japan's Abe agrees to keep close contact with US on North Korea
It was the second phone call between the two leaders since their summit at Trump's luxury resort in Florida early this month. He said Kim was detained by officials as he was trying to leave the country from Pyongyang's worldwide airport.
Cazeneuve called on the French to support Macron in order "to beat the National Front and its awful programme of regression for France and division among the French".
The former Prime Minister said: "The National Front has a history of violence and extremism can only give rise to division in France".
"Marine Le Pen would bankrupt France by causing European Union chaos by coming out of the Euro. I will vote for Emannuel Macron".
Initially, one polling company, Harris, has the En Marche! leader on 24 per cent, the other, Elabe, estimates he has 23.7 per cent of support. First projected results are expected shortly afterward.
With 90 percent of votes counted, the Interior Ministry said Macron had almost 24 percent, giving him a slight cushion over Le Pen's 22 percent.
According to the updated estimation, Fillon ends up in the third place with 19.9 percent of votes, while far-leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon ranks fourth with 19.3 percent.
Comments