Presidential: six things to remember from the evening of the first round

Europe 1 with AFP 05:00, April 11, 2022

Successful bet for Emmanuel Macron.

The outgoing president qualifies for the second round of presidential elections and will face Marine Le Pen in the second round.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon comes in third position and is hot on the heels of the candidate of the National Rally.

Éric Zemmour succeeded in establishing himself in the political landscape with a fourth place.

The candidate of the "Reconquest!"

calls to vote Marine Le Pen.

The outgoing president in the lead, the Rassemblement national and la France insoumise which follow each other closely: this first round of the presidential election confirms the collapse of the historical parties.

Macron in the lead, Le Pen just behind

It will therefore be a second round that looks like a return match.

Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen will face each other on April 24 for the presidency of the Republic: between 28% and 29% of the vote for the president-candidate against 22 to 24% for Marine Le Pen.

The same poster as in 2017, in an election marked by strong abstention: between 26% and 28.3%, more than 5 points more than in 2017, at 22.23%.

Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen both spoke on Sunday evening, both calling for the rallying of voters who did not vote for them in the first round.

"I want to reach out to all those who want to work for France," assured Emmanuel Macron.

"I am ready to invent something new to bring together the various convictions and sensitivities in order to build with them a common action in the service of our nation for the years to come", said the president again.

Marine Le Pen for her part called on "all French people of all sensibilities, right, left and elsewhere, French people of all origins, to join this great national and popular gathering".

The National Rally candidate then added: "Together, we will build this victory with enthusiasm and conviction to implement the great alternation that France needs."

A result and speeches that announce a recomposition, especially on the right, of the political spectrum.

In the meantime, the campaign for the second round begins this Monday with a trip already announced by the teams of Emmanuel Macron, who is going to Hauts-de-France on Monday.

Mélenchon, third man

As in 2012, Jean-Luc Mélenchon is the third man in the presidential election.

With 21% of the vote, the leader of rebellious France fails for the third consecutive time to qualify for the second round of a presidential election, but improves by three points his score from 2017. The rebellious leader, disappointed this evening, has called to vote like five years ago against Marine Le Pen.

"Let's not hide the violence of disappointment," he first expressed to his activists.

"She is first thinking of everything that would have been undertaken and that will not be. Yes, it's a disappointment, but at the same time, how can you also hide the pride of the work accomplished?"

According to him, "the popular pole exists: if we weren't there, what would remain?" He said again.

He then called for countering the far right: "We know who we will never vote for. We will never lose our faith in democracy, so you must not give Mrs Le Pen a voice."

Jean-Luc Mélenchon lived his third and last presidential campaign there.

At 70, the rebellious leader has indicated that he will not run again in 2027 and therefore leaves disappointed activists behind him.

Many are angry with other left-wing parties: Fabien Roussel's Communist Party, in particular, was widely booed on Sunday evening at the Cirque d'Hiver.

A party found guilty according to them of having prevented their champion from reaching the second round.

Zemmour calls for a vote for Le Pen

While the rebellious leader summoned his voters not to "give a voice to Ms. Le Pen", Éric Zemmour, who came in fourth position, for his part called to vote for the candidate of the National Rally.

While admitting to having many disagreements with the RN champion, Éric Zemmour nevertheless assured that he was not in the wrong opponent.

The former far-right polemicist thus called on his supporters to choose Marine Le Pen over Emmanuel Macron who "brought two million immigrants into France and will do worse if he is re-elected".

With just over 7% of the vote, Éric Zemmour said he therefore took full responsibility for a certain number of errors, believing that he owed all his successes to his teams, but none of his failures.

However, he announced in his speech that he would continue to defend France, a way of confirming that he intends to continue his political career.

"We have done in three months what no politician has ever achieved in 15 years. We have built the largest party in France. The flags that flew at the Trocadero will never be lowered again," he said. he rocks.

"So yes, we are disappointed, but we have gained in this campaign something that is priceless: power and experience. I tell you, at 'Reconquête!', we are powerful, we are strong , we have activists present throughout France, we have formidable intelligence, unequaled skills. We are already planning for the future. I won't stop there, because 'Reconquest!'

will not give up until France is reconquered," he promised.

Éric Zemmour had already assured this week that if he failed to be elected to the Élysée, he would be a candidate for the legislative elections.

He even indicated that he saw himself as the future leader of the opposition.

The crushing blow for traditional parties

Another learning from this first round of the presidential election, the rout of the traditional parties.

The shock is harsh, first for the Republicans.

Valérie Pécresse obtained only 4.8% of the vote.

Very quickly after the announcement of the results, the president of the Île-de-France region took the floor to call for a vote for Emmanuel Macron.

"Tonight, I am deeply worried about the future of our country, as the far right has never been so close to winning. You know, I have built my political commitment against the extremes, from right and left. I have always fought them with strength and consistency," she began.

"Marine Le Pen's project would lead the country to discord, impotence and bankruptcy. Her historical proximity to Vladimir Putin discredits her for defending the interests of our country in the tragic times we are living through. the deep differences that I have hammered throughout the campaign, I will vote in conscience Emmanuel Macron to prevent the coming to power of Marine Le Pen and the chaos that would result, "assured the Republican candidate.

A statement by Valérie Pécresse very different from that of the deputy Les Républicains Éric Ciotti.

The unfortunate finalist of the party's nomination primary, said he would not give voting instructions for this second round.

For the right, it is therefore the third defeat in a row in the presidential election and the second absence of the party in the second round.

Many in the squad refused to imagine this dreaded scenario for five years.

Same acknowledgment of failure in the Socialist Party.

Anne Hidalgo obtained the lowest score in the history of the party in the presidential election with 1.7% of the vote.

Taking note of this big defeat, she called on voters to vote against the far right.

"At the end of this first round, the results, like the abstention, testify to a divided France with multiple fractures and confronted with an extreme right at the gates of power," said the socialist.

"So, because it is my lifelong commitment to the Republic and so that France does not fall into hatred of all against all, I call on you with seriousness to vote on April 24 against the far right. of Marine Le Pen using the Emmanuel Macron ballot."

Anne Hidalgo's historically low score jeopardizes her future, including as mayor of Paris, where her record is disputed and her majority is increasingly eroding.

Suspense for second place

Until the end of the night, doubt hovered over the candidate against Emmanuel Macron in the second round.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon gradually increased in the vote estimates as the counting progressed.

At the Cirque d'Hiver in Paris, the effervescence was felt among rebellious activists.

Some militants, gone, have even returned.

A lot of uncertainty and a lot of waiting at Jean-Luc Mélenchon's HQ: rebellious France believed in it, knowing that the differences in votes would be very tight.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon and his close circle stayed there for many hours, waiting for the final result. 

Two blocks facing each other

In view of the second round of the presidential election, two blocks seem to be in confrontation.

On the one hand, the right, environmentalists, communists and socialists are calling for Emmanuel Macron to vote to block Marine Le Pen's far right.

On the other, Éric Zemmour and Nicolas Dupont-Aignan call to give their voice to Marine Le Pen.

Jean Lassalle and Nathalie Arthaud, on the other hand, do not speak out and give no voting instructions to their voters.

The French will decide between the two final candidates in two weeks, on April 24.