Marine Le Pen conceded defeat to French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday but noted the result gives her confidence ahead of the next election.
"We would of course have liked the result to be different. With more than 43% of the vote, this represents a striking victory. Millions of our compatriots have chosen the Rassemblement National," Le Pen stated. "The ideas that we represent have reached new heights. In this defeat, I can’t help but feel a hope," she added.
Earlier, exit polls showed that Macron is set to secure a second term by winning around 58% of the vote, while Le Pen is expected to have around 42%.
