The race to be the next president of France enters the final stretch
The two finalists go head-to-head in the closing phase of the campaign
![](https://www.economist.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1424,quality=80,format=auto/sites/default/files/images/print-edition/20220416_EUD001_0.jpg)
THERE WERE 12 candidates to pick from, but in the end the French chose the same presidential finalists as in 2017. In the first round of voting on April 10th, Emmanuel Macron, the centrist president, came top, with almost 28%. Marine Le Pen, a populist nationalist, came second with 23%. In the run-off in 2017 Mr Macron beat Ms Le Pen by a resounding 66% to 34%. When voters return to the polls on April 24th to choose the next president, the result is likely to be far closer.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Macron v Le Pen, again”
Europe April 16th 2022
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