Hollande to back Macron in May 7 runoff

Incumbent President Francois Hollande will vote for Social-liberal Emmanuel Macron in a run-off for the French presidency on May 7, said a government spokesperson on Monday.

Stephane Le Foll said Hollande will call upon the French to support Macron, who will face far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, in the second round of the presidential election.

Le Pen received 21.42 per cent of votes, while Macron was leading in the first election round with 23.86 per cent, according to the preliminary results, published by the French Interior Ministry as having 97 per cent of votes counted.

"Francois Hollande is going to speak against #LePen and certainly call for voting for #Macron," Le Foll was quoted as saying by French channel CNews.

Conservative François Fillon was eliminated on 19.91 per cent, with revolutionary Leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon coming fourth on 19.64 per cent, the Interior Ministry said.

In fifth place, far behind the four most popular candidates, was socialist Benoit Hamon, with 6.2 per cent of the votes, followed by Gaullist Nicolas Dupont-Aignan with about 5 per cent.

--IANS

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