2002 French Presidential Election
The Le Pen shock21 April 2002 and 5 May 2002 · Shocks and recompositions · direct two-round vote
Presidential elections were held in France on 21 April 2002, with a runoff election between the top two candidates, incumbent Jacques Chirac of the Rally for the Republic and Jean-Marie Le Pen of the National Front, on 5 May.
President before
Jacques Chirac
RPR
President (re-elected)
Jacques Chirac
RPR
Winning share
82.2%
second round
Turnout
71.6%
second round 79.7%
The result
Jacques Chirac
Rally for the Republic · 5 665 855 votes
82.21%
second round
Jean-Marie Le Pen
National Front · 4 804 713 votes
17.79%
second round
Lionel Jospin
Socialist Party · 4 610 113 votes
16.18%
first round
François Bayrou
Union for French Democracy · 1 949 170 votes
6.84%
first round
Arlette Laguiller
Workers' Struggle · 1 630 045 votes
5.72%
first round
Jean-Pierre Chevènement
Citizens' Movement · 1 518 528 votes
5.33%
first round
Noël Mamère
The Greens · 1 495 724 votes
5.25%
first round
Olivier Besancenot
Revolutionary Communist League · 1 210 562 votes
4.25%
first round
Jean Saint-Josse
Hunting, Fishing, Nature and Traditions · 1 204 689 votes
4.23%
first round
Alain Madelin
Liberal Democracy · 1 113 484 votes
3.91%
first round
Robert Hue
French Communist Party · 960 480 votes
3.37%
first round
Bruno Mégret
National Republican Movement · 667 026 votes
2.34%
first round