Early projections from opinion pollsters on the results had shown Macron ahead of Le Pen.
"Last night, there was one choice between what Europe actually represents and a choice that represents the destruction of Europe", said a spokesman for Jean-Claude Juncker, defending the European Commission chief's decision to call Mr. Macron to offer his congratulations. So much so that, for the first time since the establishment of the Fifth republic, the second presidential run-off is going to be without the candidates of any traditional political party.
"Brussels was anxious. There is relief", said EU Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici, a former French finance Minister.
France's divided political mainstream, rejected by an angry electorate, united Monday to urge voters to back Macron and reject Le Pen's far-right agenda.
The Washington Capitals are moving on to the second round
You have to sacrifice your body to have success. "Then you get into hypotheticals". "You still have to be in". With No. 14's return, the Leafs coincidentally climbed all the way to 14th in the overall standings.
Opening the battle for second-round votes, Le Pen highlighted the continuing threat of Islamist militancy, which has claimed more than 230 lives in France since 2015, saying the 39-year-old Macron was "to say the least, weak" on the issue.She told France 2 television she was temporarily stepping down from day-to-day management of the FN to focus on her campaign.She also said she wanted to talk to sovereignist Nicolas Dupont-Aignan, who won almost five percent of the first-round vote and has not said which side he would take in the next.
Later in the day, French President Francois Hollande too called on supporters to vote for Macron. Only the defeated far-left candidate, Jean-Luc Melenchon, pointedly refused to back Macron.
With Macron and his "En Marche!" movement at risk of being in a minority in parliament, the center-right party, The Republicans, hopes to secure enough National Assembly seats to demand a government role despite the defeat of its presidential contender Francois Fillon in a first-round vote on April 23.
On Monday, she took a step in that direction, announcing she was temporarily stepping down as party leader, a move that appeared to be aimed at drawing a wider range of potential voters and was in keeping with her efforts in recent years to garner broader support from the left and right.
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