Paris ? In a huge upset, extreme-right leader Jean-Marie Le Pen qualified on Sunday to face incumbent Jacques Chirac in the runoff for French president, a political earthquake that appeared to reflect both a sense of deep voter apathy and insecurity over rising crime.

Le Pen, who virulently opposes immigration and has been accused during his long political career of racism and anti-Semitism, dealt a stunning blow to Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, whose third-place finish defied all predictions.

With 99.5 percent of the vote counted, the Interior Ministry said Chirac had 5,510,180 votes or 19.65 percent. Le Pen had 4,783,440 votes, or 17.06 percent. Jospin had 4,501,843, or 16.05 percent.

A shocked Jospin announced he would retire from political life immediately after the presidential election, which ends with the May 5 runoff.

“I plainly assume responsibility for this failure,” Jospin said in a choked voice, calling the results a “thunderbolt.”

“And I draw the conclusions,” he continued, “in withdrawing from political life after the end of the presidential election.”

Chirac, meanwhile, called on all French citizens unite to defeat Le Pen in the second round.

“I call on all French men and women to gather up to defend human rights,” Chirac said in a somber speech that expressed no joy at coming in first. “At risk is our national cohesion, the values of the Republic. “France needs you, and I need you.”