The presidential race in France is heating up but this is an election that's also taking place at a time when Russia has invaded into Ukraine. The war risks becoming a key issue in in the french electoral politics, here's how!

French President Emmanuel Macron takes a aim at his rival Le Pen ahead of election

6 days are left for the French Election to begin & the tide is turning. Emmanuel Macron is no longer the favourite to win, his challengers are gaining ground. The French President has even warned of a Brexit-style upset. Palki Sharma Upadhyay brings you a report.

Gravitas: France Elections: The tide is turning

Hungarian PM Viktor Orban has secured another term in office with a landslide victory. Orban says his victory can be seen 'even from the moon'. What does the win mean for Europe? Palki Sharma Upadhyay gets you a report.

Gravitas: Hungary's PM Viktor Orban secures another term

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has declared victory in 1st round of polls. What will Vucic's victory mean for Europe? Watch this report to know more.

Serbia: President Aleksandar Vucic declares victory in 1st round

Presidential race is tightening. Until now, Emmanuel Macron was expected to win again but the tide appears to be turning now. Opinion polls say his challengers are gaining ground, the French President himself admitted that this election could end in a Brexit style, our next report gets you all the details.

French election race tightens as Le Pen captures 48.5% of voter intention

Presidential race is tightening until now Emmanuel Macron was expected to win again but the tide appears to be turning now. Opinion polls say his challengers are gaining ground, the French president himself admitted that this election could end in a Brexit style, our next report gets you all the details.

France Elections 2022: Macron's poll margin is reducing, will Marine Le Pen turn the tables?

Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban scored a fourth consecutive landslide win in Sunday's election.

Hungary: Viktor Orban scores fourth consecutive win in general elections

With a few days away, France is all set for its presidential elections. On Saturday, President Emmanuel Macron held his first big rally for the poll season.

France presidential elections: Will Macron win re-election bid?

In a recent update on French polls, President Emmanuel Macron continues to remain the favorite with far-right candidate Le Pen inching closer to securing the second position.

French Presidential election 2022: Macron & Le Pen battle over pension reforms

Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban has scored a fourth consecutive landslide win. Official results showed Orban's party winning a fourth term in office in an election overshadowed by the war in neighbouring Ukraine.

Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party bags a two-thirds majority in election

Hungary election result: Viktor Orban secures fourth consecutive win

French elections are just 8 days away and race for President is heating up. Will French President Macron get a second term? Watch this report.

Will Macron get a second term as France goes to polls in 8 days?

French Presidential election 2022: Le Pen closes the gap in opinion polls

In nine days, France will hold presidential elections and ahead of this crucial polls, the political fight is heating up. French president Emmanuel Macron has launched a bitter attack against his main contender, take a look.

French Elections: Macron launches a bitter attack against Le Pen, accuses her of far-right leanings

It's election season in France. The Presidential Polls begin in 12 days. Who are the candidates? What are their leanings? Which issues are they fighting over? What do opinion polls say? Palki Sharma tells you all you need to know.

Gravitas: France Elections: All you need to know

Veteran French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is closing the gap on President Emmanuel Macron ahead of a possible election duel between the two of them next month, two new polls show.

Macron has long been favourite for the two-round election on April 10 and 24, with his handling of the diplomatic crisis caused by the war in Ukraine seen as boosting his chances.

But his estimated margin of victory over Le Pen is narrowing sharply as the election approaches, two polls published this week suggested.

If they faced each other in the second round, a poll by the Ifop-Fiducial group published on Monday indicated Macron would win by just 53 per cent versus 47 per cent for Le Pen, who had gained three points in a week.

A poll on Tuesday by Ipsos Sopra-Steria, meanwhile, showed Macron winning by 56 per cent to 44 per cent, again with Le Pen up by around three points in a week.

Aides to Macron sought to play down the change, with one advisor saying Tuesday that it was a simple correction after a sharp rise in support following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

"We knew he wasn't going to stay so high," the advisor told AFP on condition of anonymity.

But the shift in momentum is being seized on by Le Pen and her anti-immigration National Rally party, with between a quarter and a third of voters believed to be undecided about how to cast their ballots.

"I have never been so close to victory," Le Pen told Le Parisien newspaper in an interview published Saturday.

She has placed less emphasis on her traditional themes of Islam and immigration in favour of a grassroots campaign focused on the economic problems faced by low-income families and the working classes.

Inflation fears

Macron has largely shunned the election campaign so far, but during his first public walkabout to meet voters on Monday in the eastern town of Dijon, he heard plenty of complaints about inflation and rocketing fuel prices.

"Everything is going up... put yourself in the position of a French family. It can't carry on, people will go nuts," one 46-year-old salesman told him.

Macron has also been forced to defend his government's use of costly outside consulting firms such as the US-based McKinsey following a highly critical report from the Senate this month.

The investigation found that the value of such contracts had more than doubled between 2018 and 2021, reaching more than a billion euros ($1.1 billion) last year, a record.

Macron has denied that his governments used consultants more than their predecessors, while adding that additional help was required during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic when ministries and civil servants were stretched thin.

"It's a complicated issue that will sway those who were already convinced that Macron is a 'president of the rich,' but it's not a widespread issue," political analyst Philippe Moreau Chevrolet told AFP, referring to the label given to Macron, a former investment banker, by his critics.

"It counts much less than questions around household income and spiralling inflation and even fears about food supplies," added Moreau Chevrolet, also the founder of MCBG Conseil, a PR agency specialised in political communication.

Experts emphasise that pre-election polls are a snapshot of voting intentions at the time they are conducted, and that the outcome of the election next month remains uncertain.

Veteran French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is closing the gap on President Emmanuel Macron ahead of a possible election duel between the two of them next month, two new polls show.

Veteran French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is closing the gap on President Emmanuel Macron ahead of a possible election duel between the two of them next month, two new polls show. Macron has long been favourite for the two-round election on April 10 and 24, with his handling of the diplomatic crisis caused by the war in Ukraine seen as boosting his chances. But his estimated margin of victory over Le Pen is narrowing sharply as the election approaches, two polls published this week suggested. If they faced each other in the second round, a poll by the Ifop-Fiducial group published on Monday indicated Macron would win by just 53 per cent versus 47 per cent for Le Pen, who had gained three points in a week. A poll on Tuesday by Ipsos Sopra-Steria, meanwhile, showed Macron winning by 56 per cent to 44 per cent, again with Le Pen up by around three points in a week. Aides to Macron sought to play down the change, with one advisor saying Tuesday that it was a simple correction after a sharp rise in support following Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24. "We knew he wasn't going to stay so high," the advisor told AFP on condition of anonymity. But the shift in momentum is being seized on by Le Pen and her anti-immigration National Rally party, with between a quarter and a third of voters believed to be undecided about how to cast their ballots. "I have never been so close to victory," Le Pen told Le Parisien newspaper in an interview published Saturday. She has placed less emphasis on her traditional themes of Islam and immigration in favour of a grassroots campaign focused on the economic problems faced by low-income families and the working classes. Inflation fears Macron has largely shunned the election campaign so far, but during his first public walkabout to meet voters on Monday in the eastern town of Dijon, he heard plenty of complaints about inflation and rocketing fuel prices. "Everything is going up... put yourself in the position of a French family. It can't carry on, people will go nuts," one 46-year-old salesman told him. Macron has also been forced to defend his government's use of costly outside consulting firms such as the US-based McKinsey following a highly critical report from the Senate this month. The investigation found that the value of such contracts had more than doubled between 2018 and 2021, reaching more than a billion euros ($1.1 billion) last year, a record. Macron has denied that his governments used consultants more than their predecessors, while adding that additional help was required during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic when ministries and civil servants were stretched thin. "It's a complicated issue that will sway those who were already convinced that Macron is a 'president of the rich,' but it's not a widespread issue," political analyst Philippe Moreau Chevrolet told AFP, referring to the label given to Macron, a former investment banker, by his critics. "It counts much less than questions around household income and spiralling inflation and even fears about food supplies," added Moreau Chevrolet, also the founder of MCBG Conseil, a PR agency specialised in political communication. Experts emphasise that pre-election polls are a snapshot of voting intentions at the time they are conducted, and that the outcome of the election next month remains uncertain.

French far-right leader Le Pen closing gap on Macron: Polls

France is gearing up for Presidential elections and the first round of voting is just two weeks away. Now, French far-right leader Le Pen is closing in on President Macron as elections heat up.

French elections heat up: French far-right leader Le Pen closing in on President Macron

France is gearing up for Presidential election. President Emmanuel Macron is eyeing re-election as he faces worried voters during campaigning.

France's Presidential election: President Emmanuel Macron faces worried voters

France is all set to hold the first round of presidential elections that are scheduled to take place on April 10. Just two weeks to go for the first round of polls, candidates are now ramping up efforts to increase the voter turnout which has been projected to be historically low this year.

France: Voter turnout concerns loom over election, Macron remains clear favorite

&nbsp;Amid persisting political chaos and growing influx of protesters from opposition parties towards Islamabad, aiming to bring the capital to a stand still until the fate of Imran Khan is decided through the opposition led No Confidence Voting; the capital braces for what seems like a final showdown by the government and the opposition. 
 
Imran Khan's premiership is faced with a massive challenge posed by the opposition alliance, comprising of at least 20 opposition parties, who, after 3 years of sitting in the opposition benches, have now decided to take on Imran Khan and ensure that he is off-thrown his seat as the Prime Minister of the country, through a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly of Pakistan.

They now feel confident of ousting Khan after many of the members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Pakistan (TTP) along with ally political parties, have defected and sided with the opposition parties, injecting confidence into the opposition rank that this time, they will be able to get the golden number of a 172 votes, required to claim majority during the no-confidence voting.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pak-opposition-accuses-pm-imran-khan-of-buying-time-to-muster-support-after-delay-in-no-confidence-motion-465421">&nbsp;Pak opposition accuses PM Imran Khan of buying time to muster support after delay in no-confidence motion</a> 
 
With the political temperature hitting boiling point, Pakistan's Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has hinted towards calling for early elections, which he said may be called immediately after the federal budget for fiscal year 2022-23 is presented. 
 
During a press conference, Rasheed said that he had advised Prime Minister Imran Khan to call for elections after the budget, insisting that Khan`s popularity had increased in the wake of opposition's no-confidence motion against him. 
 
"I am asking for early elections after presenting a good budget because this incompetent opposition has allowed us to win again", he said. 
 
"When the Pakistani nation sees their opposition leaders'&nbsp;&nbsp;faces, they switch channels," he added. 
 
Taking a jibe on opposition leader and PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif, Rasheed said, "this is the same Shahbaz Sharif who says Nawaz Sharif greatly respects Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and the army".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/witchcraft-theft-corruption-its-mud-slinging-time-in-pak-ahead-of-a-no-confidence-vote-465349">Witchcraft, theft, corruption: It's mud-slinging time in Pak ahead of a no-confidence vote</a> 
 
"Where did the 'vote ko izzat do'&nbsp;go? The vote has been sold at shops, they have insulted democracy", he added reminding of Nawaz Sharif`s statements where he blamed the country`s military establishment for ousting him from power. 
 
Rasheed also said that the no-confidence voting was likely to take place on the April 3 or April 4, adding that the defected may be promising opposition benches of their support, but on the day of the voting, they will not vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Watch |&nbsp;Pakistan political turmoil: Imran Khan rejects speculation of involvement of army

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Amid persisting political chaos and growing influx of protesters from opposition parties towards Islamabad, aiming to bring the capital to a stand still until the fate of Imran Khan is decided through the opposition led No Confidence Voting; the capital braces for what seems like a final showdown by the government and the opposition.

Amid persisting political chaos and growing influx of protesters from opposition parties towards Islamabad, aiming to bring the capital to a stand still until the fate of Imran Khan is decided through the opposition led No Confidence Voting; the capital braces for what seems like a final showdown by the government and the opposition. Imran Khan's premiership is faced with a massive challenge posed by the opposition alliance, comprising of at least 20 opposition parties, who, after 3 years of sitting in the opposition benches, have now decided to take on Imran Khan and ensure that he is off-thrown his seat as the Prime Minister of the country, through a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly of Pakistan. They now feel confident of ousting Khan after many of the members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Pakistan (TTP) along with ally political parties, have defected and sided with the opposition parties, injecting confidence into the opposition rank that this time, they will be able to get the golden number of a 172 votes, required to claim majority during the no-confidence voting. Also read | Pak opposition accuses PM Imran Khan of buying time to muster support after delay in no-confidence motion With the political temperature hitting boiling point, Pakistan's Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has hinted towards calling for early elections, which he said may be called immediately after the federal budget for fiscal year 2022-23 is presented. During a press conference, Rasheed said that he had advised Prime Minister Imran Khan to call for elections after the budget, insisting that Khan`s popularity had increased in the wake of opposition's no-confidence motion against him. "I am asking for early elections after presenting a good budget because this incompetent opposition has allowed us to win again", he said. "When the Pakistani nation sees their opposition leaders' faces, they switch channels," he added. Taking a jibe on opposition leader and PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif, Rasheed said, "this is the same Shahbaz Sharif who says Nawaz Sharif greatly respects Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and the army". Also read | Witchcraft, theft, corruption: It's mud-slinging time in Pak ahead of a no-confidence vote "Where did the 'vote ko izzat do' go? The vote has been sold at shops, they have insulted democracy", he added reminding of Nawaz Sharif`s statements where he blamed the country`s military establishment for ousting him from power. Rasheed also said that the no-confidence voting was likely to take place on the April 3 or April 4, adding that the defected may be promising opposition benches of their support, but on the day of the voting, they will not vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan. Watch | Pakistan political turmoil: Imran Khan rejects speculation of involvement of army

Pakistan may go into early elections, says Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed

For 22 days, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been dominating headlines. This war has not just changed the lives of Ukrainians it has far reaching implications. World leaders tried to play peacemakers and among them was the French president Emmanuel Macron, however this war changed the narrative altogether for Macron.

Ukraine war dominates electoral agenda in France, Macron to be benefitted?

French President Macron has just unveiled his manifesto. Macron pledged further tax cuts, reforms to the welfare system and major public investments on Thursday as he unveiled his manifesto less than a month from elections.

French President Macron unveils election manifesto; opposition struggles to make an impact

With less than a month to go for elections in France, French President Emmanuel Macron unveils the election manifesto in a re-election bid.

Poll-bound French President Emmanuel Macron unveils election manifesto in a re-election bid

Its not just France that is going to poll this April, Hungary also is gearing up for its parliamentary election with a war next door. The Hungarian Prime Minister has a hard task ahead of him with Putin's invasion of Ukraine, watch this report to know more.

Hungary’s Orban tries to shed his Putin links ahead of Elections

PM Modi's BJP won elections in 4 out of 5 Indian states that went to polls last month. Arvind Kejriwal's AAP emerged as the biggest challenger to the BJP. A 37-year-old record was broken in Uttar Pradesh and all traditional analysis flopped. Listen in to Palki Sharma.

Gravitas: Big takeaways from India's state election results

PM Modi's BJP won elections in 4 out of 5 Indian states that went to polls last month. Arvind Kejriwal's AAP emerged as the biggest challenger to the BJP. A 37-year-old record was broken in Uttar Pradesh and all traditional analysis flopped.

Indian PM Narendra Modi thanks voters as BJP wins assembly elections in 4 out of 5 states

Five Indian states lock in their mandates: Campaign, roadshows & fierce battle but BJP wins big

Counting of votes are underway in five Indian states. Political parties are looking forward to people's mandate. The elections were held in several phases. In the latest, BJP breached halfway mark in UP.

India votes: BJP breaches halfway mark in India's most populous state Uttar Pradesh

Counting of votes are underway in five Indian states. Political parties are looking forward to people's mandate. The elections were held in several phases.

Counting of votes underway in five Indian states as the fate of several political parties at stake

Counting of votes underway in five Indian states

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party won India's most populous state with a big majority, the Modi-Yogi duo lead BJP to massive win in Uttar Pradesh. BJP emerges clear winner in four states, is it offering clues to the national mood before a 2024 general assembly election.

Indian PM Narendra Modi's big win in state elections, setting mood for 2024 general elections?

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