Macron, Le Pen advance to French presidential election runoff

While many felt the results were to be expected - the polls had long projected independent centrist Emmanuel Macron to face off against the National Front's Marine Le Pen - many were surprised that the two, had amassed almost half of the votes. Centrist candidate and former minister of economy Emmanuel Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen on Sunday came out on top in the first round of the French presidential election, according to projections by several pollsters. Given the securities' sensitivity to political risk, Mr Macron's presence in the run-off may boost French bonds when they open at 7am in London tomorrow, according to ABN Amro Group NV.

"For months and again today I've heard the doubts, the anger and the fears of the French people".

Speaking to the AFP news agency, Macron said together with his supporters he is "turning a page in French political history".

Whatever the outcome on May 7, it will mean a redrawing of France's political landscape, which has been dominated for 60 years by mainstream groupings from the centre-left and centre-right, both of whose candidates faded.

In 2012, Le Pen came third in presidency election first round with an unexpected high vote of 17.9 percent.

France has been under a state of emergency since the November 2015 terror attacks across Paris that killed about 130 people and wounded hundreds more.

There had been some speculation Front National's Le Pen could stage a late surge in support after the shooting of a policeman in Paris.

Macron, who served as the economy minister to current French President François Hollande, supports remaining in the EU.

Even under a constitution that concentrates power in the president's hands, both Macron and Le Pen will need legislators in parliament to pass laws and implement much of their programs.

Le Pen's father, Jean-Marie, scored the first breakthrough in the French presidential elections by the National Front, winning a slot in the runoff in the 2002 ballot. He was followed closely by far-right populist Marine Le Pen, who pulled in 21.7 percent.

That's good news for European leaders who have been wringing their hands for months over the possibility of a Trump-like upset by Le Pen, who has pledged to pull France out of the EU, the eurozone common currency market, and maybe even North Atlantic Treaty Organisation; reimpose strong national borders; and severely curtail immigration.

"Either we continue on the path of complete deregulation, with no borders and no protection. mass immigration and free movement of terrorists. or you choose France", she added.

"What is at stake in this election is a referendum for or against lawless globalization", Le Pen said to cheers. "It is the survival of France", she said.

European Commission chief spokesperson Margaritis Schinas said on social media that Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the commission, also congratulated Macron on the results and "wished him good luck for the future". Declaring "the left is not dead!" he also urged supporters to back Macron. Without the backing of a major party's political apparatus, a President Macron or President Le Pen might struggle with an uncooperative legislature, though as a centrist and former Socialist, Macron is likely to find more willing allies than his far-right rival would.

Fillon was seen as a favourite until January when his campaign was torpedoed by allegations that he gave his British-born wife a fictitious job as his parliamentary assistant.

The former prime minister has accused Hollande of being behind a campaign to destabilise him and said in a concession speech the obstacles he had faced were "too numerous, too cruel".

France, Europe, and the world will wait two weeks for the answer.

He was on course for around 19.2 percent of the vote, underlining the strength of anti-establishment sentiment.

More than 50,000 cops and 7,000 soldiers patrolled the streets around the country's 66,000 polling places.