Far-right leader Marine Le Pen and centrist Emmanuel Macron are set to face each in a May 7 runoff for the French Presidency after coming first and second in the first round of voting.
Controversial presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has warned the "survival" of France is at stake as she embarks of two weeks of intense campaigning before the final Presidential vote.
Le Pen secured 21.5 per cent of Sunday's vote putting her through to the second round along with Emmanuel Macron ofEn Marche! who gained 23.8 per cent.
It's the first time both of the political outsiders have reached this stage and has been billed as a battle between opposing views on Europe and globalisation as well as an outright rejection of traditional politics.
Frech elections involve a two-round voting system, narrowing a wider field of presidential candidates down to the top two vote getters.
Since the vote, Le Pen has quit as head of her far-right party the National Front in an apparent bid to broaden her voter appeal ahead of the final poll, which will decide who runs the country.
UK in a Changing Europe research fellow Matthew Goodwin said in terms of political shocks, a Le Pen win would put Brexit and the election of US President Donald Trump in the shade and pose an "existential" blow to France and Europe.
"A Le Pen win would mean the unravelling of the euro and most likely the dissolution of the European single currency, most likely the collapse of the European Union," he said.
"It's far more significant than Brexit in the long run because it's potentially a moment that could impact on the entire eurozone, not just France."
Le Pen wants to return France to the franc, close French borders and renegotiate the relationship with Europe, followed by a referendum on the issue. She has previously positioned herself as the third wave of the populist movement that has delivered Brexit, Trump and swept many countries in Europe, pledging to cut immigration to 10,000 people a year and block people from holding dual nationality.
The results with Emmanuel Macron's regions in pink and Marine Le Pen in dark blue. Photo / French interior ministry
Macron by contrast, is a former investment banker who turned to politics and served as economy minster under the socialist government before venturing out on his own. He is pro-European and wants to drag France into the 21st century with economic and welfare reforms and has pledged to reduce unemployment.
He's been dubbed a "French John F Kennedy" with an "Olympic intelligence" and his win has seen endorsements from many political leaders in Europe who fear Le Pen will rip up the country's constitutional link with the union.
Following the result Le Pen said "the survival of France is at stake" and slammed Macron for being "weak" on terror in what will remain one of her core messages.
Emmanuel Macron called it a "critical first step" and said "I count on you and your biggest mobilisation yet."
Both candidates now will start two weeks of frenzied campaigning in which Le Pen is likely to focus on casting Macron as "weak" on terror. Macron has already been endorsed by key European leaders including in the European Union where spokesman Margarits Schinas said a "fundamental choice" must be made.
Former Socialist Party candidate Benoid Hamon has also called on his supporters to vote for Macron, saying: "This is deadly serious now".
Goodwin said while European leaders might breath a sigh of relief, they should heed the fact that anti-Europe sentiment is clearly on the rise, with far-left anti-Europe candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon also gaining 19.6 per cent of the vote.
"The outcome of a Macron presidency given the other alternatives is probably the best result for Europe and the euro single currency. But it is clear that over 40 per cent of French electorate voted for anti-Europe candidates," he said.
