French Presidential Candidate Marine Le Pen of the National Front party said that she is satisfied with results of the first round of the presidential election in France as she has received 21.30 percent of votes.
On Sunday, Le Pen and her counterpart Emmanuel Macron, an independent candidate, emerged as the two top contenders in the first round of the election. According to the French Interior Ministry, Macron won with a slight advantage in the first round, having received 24.01 percent of the votes.
“I am not disappointed, I am very satisfied with this result for the simple reason that for the first time in many years the French people have two views, two political visions …which for sure are very different, practically two choices of society, ” Le Pen told the TF1 broadcaster.
On Monday, Le Pen has stepped down as the leader of the far-right National Front party, saying that she took the leave of absence from heading the party to focus on efforts to win the second round of the elections.
“I am not a candidate of the National Front. I am a candidate, who is supported by the National Front,” Le Pen stressed, as quoted by the broadcaster.
Le Pen will face Macron in the run-off, a second round of the presidential election in France, which is scheduled for May 7.