French exit polls show victory for Macron

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, 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, Macron won a sweeping victory over Le Pen to become the youngest French president.

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

Le Pen has conceded defeat in the presidential runoff, handing victory to incumbent Macron. She said her unprecedented score in a presidential election represents “a shining victory in itself.”

“The ideas we represent are reaching summits,” she said.

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