French Presidential Election of 2002

Far-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen reached the runoff, and Jacques Chirac won it with 82.2 percent.

Overview

With sixteen candidates fragmenting the vote in the first round on April 21, 2002, incumbent Jacques Chirac led with 19.9 percent, but National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen edged out Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin for second place, 16.9 to 16.2 percent. The result stunned France, and Jospin announced his retirement from politics that night. Mass demonstrations followed, and parties of the left urged their voters to back Chirac. In the runoff on May 5, Chirac won 82.2 percent, the largest margin in the history of the Fifth Republic. The shock of April 21 became shorthand in French politics for the danger of a divided vote.