French presidential election at 2030 ET

Part of that strategy would be to remind voters of Macron’s former role as a deal-maker in investment banking and economy minister under Hollande.

SUAREZ: The projections only separate Macron and Le Pen by a few points. He has won over many voters with concerns over radical Islam by vowing to act tough whenever it conflicts with French laws – but has courted liberals by promising not to harass Muslims who abide by those laws.

Two weeks ago, she suggested that France was “not responsible” for deporting Jews during the Holocaust – although the French role in the incident to which she was referring is undisputed among historians.

“In one year, we have entirely changed French politics”, Macron said at a victory rally Sunday night, while his challenger, Marine Le Pen, told an energized group of supporters “It is time to liberate the French people”.

A lawyer by training she took over her party from her father Jean-Marie Le Pen.

Who is Marine Le Pen?

Ms Le Pen leads the eurosceptic, anti-immigrant National Front party.

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.

“He represents France’s future, a future within Europe”, she said.

According to the preliminary results released late on Sunday, the two candidates are engaged in a close race as a spokesman for defeated candidate, François Fillon, says he has suffered “huge disappointment”.

Mr Macron is also likely to attract support from the political establishment.

With a wink at his cheering, flag-waving supporters who yelled “We will win!” in his election day headquarters in Paris, Macron promised to be a president “who protects, who transforms and builds” if elected.

Francois Fillon, the scandal-plagued conservative Republicans candidate, fared marginally better, coming in third with just shy of 20 percent of the vote.

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”.

Macron and Le Pen will meet in a run-off in two weeks, the victor to succeed retiring President Francois Hollande.

Le Pen, 48, wants France to quit the eurozone, restore border controls and stage a referendum on leaving the EU.

Later, around 300 people gathered at a peaceful protest at nearby Place de la Republique, waving red flags and dancing around the flames of a bonfire.

At 39, Macron is by far the youngest person to ever have a chance at the French presidency and his meteoric rise comes as a slight surprise as he has never stood in any kind of election before.

Far-right expert Nonna Mayer at Sciences Po university said a Le Pen victory was not impossible, “but it seems unlikely that she will carry the second round”.

“Now, we have an enormous responsibility to defend the French culture”, she told supporters.