French President Emmanuel Macron defeated his rival Marine Le Pen on Sunday by a comfortable margin, early projections by pollsters showed, securing a second term and heading off what would have been a political earthquake.
The first projections showed Macron securing around 57-58% of the vote. Such estimates are normally accurate but may be fine-tuned as official results come in from around the country.
Cheers of joy erupted as the results appeared on a giant screen at the Champ de Mars park at the foot of the Eiffel tower, where Macron supporters cheered, waving French and EU flags. People started hugging each other and chanting "Macron".
In contrast, a gathering of dejected Le Pen supporters erupted in boos as they heard the news at a sprawling reception hall on the outskirts of Paris.
Marine Le Pen, French far-right National Rally (Rassemblement National) party candidate, and French President Emmanuel Macron, candidate for his re-election.
SARAH MEYSSONNIER
Ifop, Elabe, OpinionWay and Ipsos pollsters projected a 57.6-58.2% win for Macron.
Victory for the centrist, pro-European Union Macron would be hailed by allies as a reprieve for mainstream politics that have been rocked in recent years by Britain's exit from the European Union, the 2016 election of Donald Trump and the rise of a new generation of nationalist leaders.
Macron will join a small club - only two French presidents before him have managed to secure a second term. But his margin of victory looks to be tighter than when he first beat Le Pen in 2017, underlining how many French remain unimpressed with him and his domestic record.
French President Emmanuel Macron, candidate for his re-election in the 2022 French presidential election, cheers with supporters during a campaign trip in Spezet, France, Avril 5, 2022. REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
STEPHANE MAHE
That disillusion was reflected in turnout figures, with France's main polling institutes saying the abstention rate would likely settle around 28%, the highest since 1969.
Against a backdrop of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing Western sanctions that have exacerbated a surge in fuel prices, Le Pen's campaign homed in on the rising cost of living as Macron's weak point.
She promised sharp cuts to fuel tax, zero-percent sales tax on essential items from pasta to diapers, income exemptions for young workers and a "French first" stance on jobs and welfare.
Macron meanwhile pointed to her past admiration for Russia's Vladimir Putin as showing she could not be trusted on the world stage, while insisting she still harboured plans to pull France out of the European Union - something she denies.