Socialist candidate François Hollande won the first round of the French presidential elections. His 28.63 percent of the vote narrowly beat incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy's 27.18 percent. It is reportedly the first time a serving president has lost the first round of voting.

Sarkozy and Hollande will now go on to fight out the presidency on May 6 in the second round of the election. Marine Le Pen gained her ultra right wing party's best ever result, picking up nearly 18 percent and topping her father's results for the Front National in previous elections.

French newspaper 'Liberation' attributes socialist François Hollande's unexpectedly good results due to a better than expected turnout, which reached just short of 80 percent. The low abstention rate, which surprised pundits, apparently helped widen Hollande's lead over Sarkozy. While in previous elections high turnouts have resulted in lower percentages for Le Pen's right wing party, this record breaking result is rendered even more surprising by its achievement with a low abstention rate, according to Liberation. Now, with only Sarkozy and Hollande in the race, winning over the 17.9 percent of French voters who supported Le Pen in yesterday's election will in all likelihood decide who becomes France's president for the next five years.

Liam Lever, liam@romania-insider.com