Macron Defeats Le Pen, French Exit Polls Say

If the projections are borne out by official results, Mr. Macron would be the first French president in a generation to win a second term, since Jacques Chirac in 2002.

President Macron after casting his vote at Le Touquet in northern France on Sunday, April 24. AP Photo/Thibault Camus

French polling agencies are projecting that centrist incumbent Emmanuel Macron will win France’s presidential runoff Sunday, beating far right rival Marine Le Pen in a tight race that was clouded by the Ukraine war and saw a surge in support for extremist ideas.

If the projections are borne out by official results, Mr. Macron would be the first French president in a generation to win a second term, since Jacques Chirac in 2002. But he would face a divided nation and a battle to keep his parliamentary majority in legislative elections in June.

Five years ago, Mr. Macron won a sweeping victory over Ms. Le Pen to become the youngest French president. 

The margin is expected to be substantially smaller this time: Polling agencies Opinionway, Harris and Ifop-Fiducial projected that Mr. Macron would win between 57 percent and 58.5 percent of the vote, with Ms. Le Pen getting between 41.5 percent and 43 percent.


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