Special edition: French presidential election first round unpacked

In this special edition, we unpack the results of the first round of the French presidential election, which saw Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen qualify for a run-off vote on April 24.

The show features highlights from an election-night discussion with members of POLITICO's French election crew, broadcast live on Twitter. French Politics Reporter Clea Calcutt explains how the result represents a transformation of the French political landscape and also analyzes the role that Russia's war in Ukraine played in the campaign.

POLITICO's Elisa Braün, Maïa de La Baume, Giorgio Leali and Louise Guillot report directly from the election-night events of Macron, Le Pen, far-right upstart Éric Zemmour and left-winger Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

And we look ahead to the all-important second round: What could make the difference between victory and defeat for Macron and Le Pen? And how will voters who backed other candidates in the first round influence the result?

You can find all our French election coverage here and sign up for our free French Election Playbook here. And if you prefer your French politics en français, you can get our daily Playbook Paris here.

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