The first round of the French presidential election was held yesterday. Here are the results:

François Hollande (Socialist) – 28.63%
Nicolas Sarkozy (UMP – right) – 27.08%
Marine Le Pen (National Front – extreme-right) – 18.01%
Jean-Luc Mélenchon (Left Front – left) – 11.13%
François Bayrou (MODEM – centrist) – 9.11%
Eva Joly (Greens) – 2.28%
Nicolas Dupont-Aignan (Forward the Republic – anti-European) – 1.8%
Philippe Poutou (New Anticapitalist party – extreme-left) – 1.15%
Nathalie Arthuad (Worker’s Struggle – extreme-left) – 0.57%
Jacques Cheminade (unclassable) – 0.25%

So, the second round, which will be held on 6 May will pit François Hollande against the incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy. For months the polls have been suggesting that Hollande will win pretty easily at the second ballot.

I am tweeting the French presidential election. If you want to follow events there, then please follow me on Twitter @robertelgie