Emmanuel Macron became France's youngest-ever president after defeating Marine Le Pen in a runoff, marking the first Fifth Republic election without a traditional left or right party finalist.
Key Facts
- First round date
- 23 April 2017
- Second round date
- 7 May 2017
- Macron's winning margin
- More than 30 percentage points in the runoff
- Macron's share of registered electorate
- 43.6%
- Macron's age at inauguration
- Youngest French president in history
- Prime Minister named
- Édouard Philippe, named 15 May 2017
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Incumbent François Hollande declined to seek reelection due to historically low approval ratings, opening the field to a fragmented contest. François Fillon was damaged by the 'Penelopegate' scandal, while Emmanuel Macron's centrist En Marche! movement rose rapidly in polls alongside a surge from Jean-Luc Mélenchon on the left.
France held a two-round presidential election on 23 April and 7 May 2017. No candidate secured a majority in the first round, sending centrist Emmanuel Macron and National Front leader Marine Le Pen to the runoff — the first time since 2002 a National Front candidate reached the second round, and the first time the runoff excluded both traditional left and right parties.
Macron won the runoff decisively, was inaugurated on 14 May 2017 as the youngest French president in history, and appointed Édouard Philippe as Prime Minister. His party, En Marche!, subsequently secured a substantial majority in the June 2017 legislative elections, consolidating a significant realignment of French politics away from the traditional party duopoly.
Political Outcome
Emmanuel Macron (En Marche!) won the presidency with over 30 percentage points ahead of Marine Le Pen (National Front) in the runoff on 7 May 2017.
Socialist Party presidency under François Hollande
Centrist En Marche! presidency under Emmanuel Macron