French citizens went to the polls today (22 April) to vote in the first round of the 2012 French Presidential Election.

François Hollande, the Socialist Party candidate, has won the first round with 28.8% of the vote, edging out President Nicolas Sarkozy, who had 26.1%.

Marine Le Pen of the extreme right-wing Front National won a surprising 18.5% of the vote. A number of other candidates gained marginal percentages of the electorate.

Hollande and Sarkozy, the top two vote-getters, now head into the Second Round Election.

Le Monde and Libération provide full coverage of the French Presidential elections.  See the BBC for coverage in English.