French presidential election
Socialist Francois Hollande and conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy are heading for a run-off in the race for France's presidency, according to partial official results after a first round of voting.
Latest ITV News reports
Trouble in Europe casts shadow across markets
Campaign manager: Hollande 'wants to offer a dream' to the French
Francois Hollande's campaign manager said the candidate "wants to offer a dream" to the French people but was aware of the financial constraints that could face them.
He wants to offer a dream, but he doesn't want to sell illusions to the French people.
– Pierre Moscovici told BFM TVUndeniably a first step toward change was taken yesterday.
From Hollande to Holland: The Euro shakes
With Hollande pipping Sarkozy to the first round elections in France, and trouble brewing in Holland, the market's are getting jittery
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Merkel still supports Sarkozy
A spokesman for the German Government has said that Chancellor Angela Merkel continues to support Nicolas Sarkozy in French elections - but that she has no plans to campaign for him in France.
Far-right success as Hollande sweeps aside Sarkozy
Francois Hollande took a step closer to becoming the next French president as Marine Le Pen enjoys unprecedented success for her party.
Read the full storySarkozy could be latest eurozone leader ousted from office
Nicolas Sarkozy, who is the first sitting president to come second in the first round of a re-election bid, could go the way of 10 other eurozone leaders who have been ousted from office since the crisis started in late 2009.
Expect a dirty fight between Sarkozy and Hollande
by Sue Jameson: Daybreak Political Editor
Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande now face two weeks of campaigning before the French go to the polls and decide who will be president.
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Hollande leads Sarkozy in run-off polls
Opinion polls suggest Francois Hollande will win the French election run-off against Nicolas Sarkozy with between 53% to 56% of the vote.
National Front Vice-President: Le Pen 'unlikely' to endorse either candidate
National Front Vice-President Louis Alliot said Marine Le Pen - who led her party to 18% of the vote in the French election - is "unlikely" to endorse either Nicolas Sarkozy or Francois Hollande in the run-off.
He said: "Based on the ideas in our programme, neither one defends or develops them, so it seems unlikely".
Hollande tops polls after first round in the French election
- Socialist Party leader Francois Hollande - 28.6%
- Union for a Popular Movement leader Nicolas Sarkozy - 27.1%
- National Front President Marine Le Pen - 18%
- Left Front leader Jean-Luc Melenchon - 11.1%
- President of the Democratic Movement Party Francois Bayrou - 9.1%
The Interior Ministry said 99% of votes have been counted.
French press reacts to election results
- Le Parisien say Francois Hollande should be "confident but cautious". They say the result leaves him in a strong position but with the National Front vote so high he should not "rejoice too soon".
- Le Figaro say Marine Le Pen's "spectacular success" in the French election has taken her party - the National Front - to "a new level". They say her votes will be crucial in the run-off between Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande.
- Le Monde say Socialist candidate Francois Hollande achieved his goal of finishing top in the first round of the election and should be considered the favourite to become France's president.