Be curious if anyone can answer, from either Burkina Faso or East Timor perspective.

France election: Hollande takes lead into second round

French President Nicolas Sarkozy faces an uphill struggle in the second round of the presidential election, after coming second in Sunday's first vote.

He won only 27.1% of the vote, while his socialist rival Francois Hollande took 28.6%, the first time a sitting president has lost in first round.

Third-place Marine Le Pen took the largest share of the vote her far-right National Front has ever won with 18.1%.

The two men will face each other in a second round of voting on 6 May.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17809952

So yesterday was not that surprising at least not in the main outcome. Hollande ahead of Sarkozy by 1.3% of the voters. The polls see him ahead in the second round as well.
Surprising were the high turnout (over 80%) and the 18.1% for Le Pen. It seems the Front National is establishing itself despite being something like a one family party.