According to polling institutions, those figures translate into 380 to 400 National Assembly seats for the mainstream right, and 130 to 190 seats for the left.
The mainstream right, once again, is floundering for a theme of its own.
The parliamentary elections that follow could be painful and difficult for the mainstream right and left.
To Mr Chirac's credit, he has not pandered to voters' xenophobic feelings in order to win votes for the mainstream right that might otherwise go to extremists.
One is that the two men engage in such a bitter duel that disgusted voters desert them both for the mainstream right.
Having reaped the electoral benefit of their link to government, won't the Communists and greens be tempted to pull out if the going gets rougher?Polls suggest that some 45% of voters would vote for parties on the left (including Communists), against only 35% for the combined mainstream right.
Above all, he has long argued, against Mr Le Pen, for pacts with the mainstream right.
After Jean-Marie Le Pen, the far-right candidate, stunned the nation by qualifying for the runoff, the mainstream right and left rallied behind Mr. Chirac.
Overall, the second-round result gave the combined mainstream right 46% of the vote, compared with 40% for the Socialists, Greens and other left-wing parties.
The mainstream right is divided and demoralised.
