Marine Le Pen of the National Front was triumphant last night after coming second in the French election’s first round. She faces Emmanuel Macron in the run-off

Marine Le Pen stormed into the final straight of the French presidential election last night as mutinous voters humiliated the country’s two established parties.

The historic result, on a turnout close to 80 per cent, pitched the National Front leader into a run-off against Emmanuel Macron, the 39-year-old centrist and political novice, who launched his political movement a year ago. Mr Macron took 23.74 per cent in last night’s first round with Ms Le Pen on 21.53 per cent.

The centre-right Republicans were swept aside, with François Fillon, a former prime minister, coming third on 20 per cent, just ahead of Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a far-left militant whose support surged over the past month to claim 19 per cent. The candidate of the ruling Socialists, Benoît