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Marine Le Pen Denounces Efforts to Unite Against Her Candidacy Marine Le Pen Denounces Efforts to Unite Against Her Candidacy
(35 minutes later)
PARIS — A day after mainstream parties were dealt a heavy defeat in the French presidential election, the far-right leader Marine Le Pen, one of the two candidates to advance to a runoff, on Monday condemned the parties’ calls to unite against her and to support her rival, the independent centrist Emmanuel Macron.PARIS — A day after mainstream parties were dealt a heavy defeat in the French presidential election, the far-right leader Marine Le Pen, one of the two candidates to advance to a runoff, on Monday condemned the parties’ calls to unite against her and to support her rival, the independent centrist Emmanuel Macron.
In light of the success of Ms. Le Pen, a strong anti-immigrant voice who opposes the European Union, the mainstream parties on the center-left and center-right are hoping they can avert a political earthquake in the second round of voting on May 7. She will face Mr. Macron, who finished first and is seen as a strong favorite.In light of the success of Ms. Le Pen, a strong anti-immigrant voice who opposes the European Union, the mainstream parties on the center-left and center-right are hoping they can avert a political earthquake in the second round of voting on May 7. She will face Mr. Macron, who finished first and is seen as a strong favorite.
“In this troubled period, the hand of the Socialists cannot tremble” said Jean-Christophe Cambadélis, the first secretary of the party, at a news conference in Paris. “Marine Le Pen president — never.” President François Hollande, whose unpopularity was reflected in the fifth-place finish of the candidate from his Socialist Party, urged voters on Monday to back Mr. Macron. The first secretary of the party, Jean-Christophe Cambadélis, said earlier in the day at a news conference in Paris, “Marine Le Pen president — never.”
Only one major candidate has resisted calls to unite against Ms. Le Pen after the election on Sunday: Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the firebrand hard-left candidate who came in fourth and who has pointedly refused to support Mr. Macron, saying instead that he would seek the opinion of his supporters through his website. Only one major candidate has resisted calls to unite against Ms. Le Pen after the election on Sunday: Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the firebrand hard-left candidate who came fourth and who has pointedly refused to support Mr. Macron, saying instead that he would seek the opinion of his supporters through his website.
Stock markets opened higher on Monday across Europe, a sign that investors were relieved by Mr. Macron’s strong showing. Ms. Le Pen wants France to leave the euro currency zone, a prospect that created mounting unease on international markets in the prelude to the first round of voting.Stock markets opened higher on Monday across Europe, a sign that investors were relieved by Mr. Macron’s strong showing. Ms. Le Pen wants France to leave the euro currency zone, a prospect that created mounting unease on international markets in the prelude to the first round of voting.
Few analysts say they expect Ms. Le Pen to win in the second round. Polls published on Monday showed that about 60 percent of voters supported Mr. Macron, compared with less than 40 percent for Ms. Le Pen. A live televised debate between Ms. Le Pen and Mr. Macron is set for May 3. Few analysts say they expect Ms. Le Pen to win in the second round. Polls released on Monday showed that about 60 percent of voters supported Mr. Macron, compared with less than 40 percent for Ms. Le Pen. A live televised debate between Ms. Le Pen and Mr. Macron is set for May 3.
On Monday, Ms. Le Pen continued to stress the anti-immigrant and anti-globalization views that propelled her into the second round, and she denounced the efforts by the mainstream parties to keep her out of the presidency — an attitude known in France as the “Republican Front.” On Monday, Ms. Le Pen continued to emphasize the anti-immigrant and anti-globalization views that propelled her into the second round, and she denounced the efforts of the mainstream parties to keep her out of the presidency — an attitude known in France as the “Republican Front.”
“The old and completely rotten Republican Front, which no one wants, and which the French have pushed away with exceptional violence, is trying to coalesce around Mr. Macron,” Ms. Le Pen said in Rouvroy, a town in the deindustrialized north of France where her message tends to resonate well with voters.“The old and completely rotten Republican Front, which no one wants, and which the French have pushed away with exceptional violence, is trying to coalesce around Mr. Macron,” Ms. Le Pen said in Rouvroy, a town in the deindustrialized north of France where her message tends to resonate well with voters.
Ms. Le Pen also called Mr. Macron “weak” on terrorism, an issue that burst into the campaign spotlight just days before the first round of voting, when a police officer was killed by a gunman on the Champs-Élysées, in central Paris. Ms. Le Pen also called Mr. Macron “weak” on terrorism, an issue that drew renewed attention days before the first round of voting, when a gunman on the Champs-Élysées, in central Paris, killed a police officer.
François Hollande, the current French president, is scheduled to pay tribute to the fallen officer at a ceremony on Tuesday. The French presidency said that Mr. Macron and Ms. Le Pen had been invited to the ceremony, and both were expected to attend. Mr. Hollande is scheduled to pay tribute to the fallen officer at a ceremony on Tuesday. His office said that Mr. Macron and Ms. Le Pen had been invited to the ceremony, and both are expected to attend.
Mr. Macron, who has never held elective office, came in first among the 11 candidates, with 23.75 percent of the vote in the first round. Ms. Le Pen was second, with 21.53 percent, according to final results tallied on Monday by the Interior Ministry. Mr. Macron, who has never held elective office, came first among 11 candidates, with 23.75 percent of the vote. Ms. Le Pen was second, with 21.53 percent, according to final results tallied on Monday by the Interior Ministry.
François Fillon, the center-right candidate who was once seen as the front-runner before he was hit with a scandal involving public funds paid to his family, finished third at 19.91 percent. He was followed by Mr. Mélenchon at 19.64 percent, and the Socialist candidate, Benoît Hamon, at 6.35 percent. François Fillon, the center-right candidate who was once seen as the front-runner, before a scandal involving public funds paid to his family, finished third at 19.91 percent. He was followed by Mr. Mélenchon at 19.64 percent, and the Socialist candidate, Benoît Hamon, at 6.35 percent.
The mainstream parties were left struggling to pick up the pieces after their poor showing. On the right, many were quick to blame the loss on their candidate, Mr. Fillon, who refused to drop out of the race after the embezzlement scandal. The mainstream parties were left struggling to pick up the pieces after their poor showing. On the right, many were quick to blame their candidate, Mr. Fillon, who refused to drop out of the race after the embezzlement scandal.
Top officials of Mr. Fillon’s center-right Republican party were scheduled to meet on Monday in Paris to set the party line, but many prominent politicians had, with varying degrees of enthusiasm, already called on Sunday for voters to support Mr. Macron. Top officials of Mr. Fillon’s center-right Republicans were scheduled to meet on Monday in Paris to set the party line, but many prominent politicians had, with varying degrees of enthusiasm, already called on Sunday for voters to support Mr. Macron.
Both the Socialists and the Republicans will now be looking ahead to the legislative elections in June, when French voters will elect the members of the National Assembly, France’s lower and more powerful house of Parliament. The Socialists and the Republicans will now be looking to elections in June, when French voters will elect the members of the National Assembly, France’s lower and more powerful house of Parliament.
Although Mr. Macron is seen as an overwhelming favorite in the second round of the presidential election, he was warned not to take victory for granted and — after he spent Monday night with supporters at a chic restaurant in the wealthy Sixth Arrondissement of Paris — not to celebrate too much, too soon.Although Mr. Macron is seen as an overwhelming favorite in the second round of the presidential election, he was warned not to take victory for granted and — after he spent Monday night with supporters at a chic restaurant in the wealthy Sixth Arrondissement of Paris — not to celebrate too much, too soon.
Mr. Macron had to avoid making “the same mistake as Hillary Clinton,” the newspaper Le Monde wrote in an editorial on Monday, arguing that Mrs. Clinton had not sufficiently addressed the popularity of her opponent Bernie Sanders in the primaries.Mr. Macron had to avoid making “the same mistake as Hillary Clinton,” the newspaper Le Monde wrote in an editorial on Monday, arguing that Mrs. Clinton had not sufficiently addressed the popularity of her opponent Bernie Sanders in the primaries.
In its editorial, Le Monde wrote that Mr. Macron needed to be wary of high abstention in the second round, especially by voters on the left who had helped Mr. Mélenchon surge late in the campaign.In its editorial, Le Monde wrote that Mr. Macron needed to be wary of high abstention in the second round, especially by voters on the left who had helped Mr. Mélenchon surge late in the campaign.
“Emmanuel Macron has less than 15 days to show all of these reluctant voters that he has assessed the scale of the shock undergone by the French political system,” the newspaper wrote.“Emmanuel Macron has less than 15 days to show all of these reluctant voters that he has assessed the scale of the shock undergone by the French political system,” the newspaper wrote.